Perfectly Imperfect
by Sweeney7760
Summary: High school setting Cabbie. Robbie didn't ask for it happen, in fact he wished it hadn't; because his life would have been so much simpler... if he hadn't fallen for Cat Valentine. With all of the twists and incredible lows of finding love in high school, you know its going to be a interesting ride.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

If Robbie Shapiro had any choice in his appearance when he was growing up; he would have done things completely different to how he appeared now at the tender age of seventeen. He was a textbook definition of a geek; slim, with arms that practically had the same circumference as a piece of string, and legs that looked awfully strange in shorts, he was certain it was because of his knees, if he stared at them long enough, he was certain the dimples that formed in them resembled a baby's face. For little over a year now he had a habit of standing in front of the mirror in the morning, scrutinizing his appearance, and it no longer came as a shock to him that he still had the same geeky physique as always.

He was also blessed with bad eyesight, which did not help his image at all. Without his glasses, he was practically blind, so he stuck on the dark rimmed glasses because eye contacts made him nervous, he loved the idea of them, but when it came to actually placing them onto his pupil, he would panic, his eyes blinking furious, attempting to bat away the infliction. To complete his nerd ensemble, there was his dark hair; it stuck out at odd angles and no matter how many times he tried to pull a come through it, his hair would just spring back into wild curls.

Sighing heavily, he stared at his reflection, "It is what it is."

The only traits that Robbie actually liked about himself was his personality, and how many times have you heard someone say,

"Oh they have a really nice personality."

That sentence almost always succeeds the question of whether this particular person thinks the object of the question is attractive. But Robbie was a good actor, an amazing ventriloquist, he could hold a tune, and he could play a few instruments. He was good enough to be accepted to a school for the talented; he thought that this would be his chance to re-brand himself as this suave Robbie.

But of course that was never going to happen.

After his first day of high school, he had already accepted the fact that he was destined to live out his years of high school stuck with the tech crew, the kids who played chess at lunchtime or worse, he would have to associate with Sinjin Van Cleff; who frankly was off the Richter scale when it came to being a weird kid.

Then he tripped over Cat Valentine.

The little redhead had been innocent sitting on the polished school floors below her locker, her legs sticking out with a book balanced on her upper thigh and a lollipop in her hand. Robbie had been too busy paying attention to his phone, and hadn't noticed the hazard. She squealed like a baby piglet when she saw sprawled across the floor and she scrambled across to him.

"Are you okay?!" she asked.

This was truly a pivotal moment in his life, because this was the first time a girl had willingly spoken to him. He nodded because he was still having trouble comprehending what exactly was happening, was he concussed? The girl with the vibrant red hair clicked her fingers and grabbed her pink bag, pushing the purple giraffe head that was poking out from the top she dug through her bag, until she located the tasty treat.

"Here!" she exclaimed as she thrust the strawberry flavoured lolly into his hands, "my doctor always gives me lollies when I to visit him, so I always have some left over because I'm there a lot. My brother gets me into a load of accidents at home."

He smiled as he rose to his feet, clearly this girl wasn't completely correct in the head, but that didn't mean that Robbie thought she was crazy, she was just very innocent to the point where she was still a child. It was rather sweet.

"Thanks for the lolly."

He finally managed to find his voice, and was not surprised when it sounded pitchy, but she didn't seem to mind, she was already too busy playing with the stuffed purple giraffe. He turned away to leave, wishing that he had something witty to say but as usual, he came up short. He thought about his plan of action for lunch, should he find an empty classroom and eat alone? Or stuck it up and eat in the courtyard with all of the other students, he knew how that would end though, he would be a large table occupied only by himself... the final nail in his sad and unloved coffin.

"Wait!"

He turned around to see the little redhead chasing him, he bag bobbing against her back, he cheeks where slightly red after her sudden burst of energy, "Do you not want to come hang out with me?"

"You want to be seen with me?" he asked, completely bemused with what was happening.

"Sure!" Cat said, her voice alive with enthusiasm, "You are my friend now boy-whose-name-I-don't know."

"Robbie." He answered her, "Robbie Shapiro."

She beamed at him as she grabbed his arm, "Well come on Robbie! Let's go get some lunch."

And that was that, he went to lunch with Cat, where he met all of her other friends. One was a particularly scary girl with poker straight black hair that tickled her shoulders, with her stone-cold stare and fascination with scissors, Robbie caught on quickly that this was a girl that you did not want to mess with. But over time he softened to her, mainly because she was protective of Cat, she didn't like anyone being mean about her because she was often slow to understand even the simplest of tasks. The other two boys that Cat ushered over to the table, where very accepting of Robbie, warming to his strange habits instantly, and they didn't judge him for bringing a puppet with him to school.

From that moment on, Cat and Robbie where inseparable, they became best friends. Robbie knew more about Cat than anyone else, even more than Jade West. He knew that she had to visit a therapist once a month; he knew that she had dyslexia so he tutored her for most subjects, apart from dance, music and theatre… where she excelled without the help of anyone. She was so unlike all of the others girls at their school; the bitchy popular girls that wouldn't so much as give Robbie a second glance. She was refreshing, and he enjoyed spending time with her.

So naturally it was inevitable, because that is what happens when you are a boy like Robbie who finds himself friends with one of the prettiest girls in the school.

Naturally he just had to fall in love with her.

He didn't ask for it happen; it just developed over time, he started to notice things about Cat that he really admired. Then that fateful Monday morning, when he was waiting outside her house so they could walk to school together like they always did, he realised why he felt queasy whenever he thought about her. Why he didn't like any other girl in school as anything more than a friend.

It was truly the worst thing to ever happen to him.

He wished he could stop himself from feeling this way about his best friend, because he knew that she would never feel the same way. Cat was everything that Robbie wasn't.

She was beautiful, athletic, talented and such a caring person that you couldn't help but warm up to her. Plus he knew the type of guy that she liked; he had to endure painful conversations about various dates that she had been on. She liked tall, tanned muscular guys… and that was just something that Robbie would never be.

So every day when he met Cat at school, he would try to repress it because he was apparently a masochist; he just loved feeling the pain of being with her, but not being with her in the way that he truly wanted.

So he carried on holding this burden, watching as Cat made terrible mistakes with boys, trying not to get overly defensive about it. But it was difficult, boys took advantage of her in ways that she didn't understand.

And it wasn't until their finally year at Hollywood Arts, when Cat came rushing over to him, tears flooding her eyes, gulping for breath as she buried her head into his shirt and bawled her eyes out, because yet another boy had dumped her.

It was the same thing every time, a boy would think Cat was cute, then he would ask her out. Then she would rant and rave to Robbie, who sat there rigidly, his lips sewn shut, nodding occasionally. Then right on cue, Cat would get a text, the boy had gotten what he wanted from her and was no longer interested. So she would wail to Robbie about how unfair it was, and she didn't understand how every boy could do this to her.

But today was different, something snapped inside of Robbie. Maybe it was he had finally been worn down, the years of keeping his thoughts unsaid had reached it capacity, because he could he sense them spilling over board. He was vexed at her, annoyed that she was so perfect to him, hating the fact that he still thought she looked cute even when her face was blotchy and her eyes where bloodshot, her tears tinted black from her mascara. She couldn't see it, she couldn't see what was staring her right in the face.

So he pushed her back and slammed his locker door, unable to look at her.

She didn't understand because he had never reacted this way to her before. Normally he would take her by the hand and lead her out of the school towards the Asphalt Café. He always bought her some hot chocolate with the tiny marshmallows. Then he would rub her back soothingly as she wept, saying comforting words about how amazing she was and that she would find another guy in no time.

But this time was different, this time he couldn't even look at her.

"You are so blind."

The words escaped his lips, and he walked away from her, leaving her completely and utterly confused. The crowd of students watched the action between the two best friends, some shaking their heads sadly, wondering if they should fill her in, because it was obvious to everyone else... the problem was it wasn't clear to the only person who mattered. Confused and embarrassed, the little redhead rush for the janitors closest, a place where she could hide away from all the staring eyes. Robbie wasn't like this, he was her best friend. So she had to ask herself;

So why was he acting so strange?

* * *

**Helloooo yes i am doing a high school story :o shock horror!**

**Thought it would make a nice change from fantasy.**

**Anyway this is a work in progress so tell me what you would like to see!**

**Sweeney7760**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Why is Cat upset?"

A frequently asked and overused question in Robbie's opinion- because really? What was the point in asking about the ever changing moods of Cat Valentine? She was always overreacting to something, just yesterday she found herself lost in a temper tantrum because André had innocently asked why she was dressed up as a Victorian gentleman. Her appalled expression was always followed by the same response:

"You're so mean to me!"

It had gotten to the point now where the gang would always say it in chorus with her, and they would snigger as she rushed away, her matted and worn purple giraffe underneath the crook of her arm as she stomped away from her friends. They always looked to Robbie to go and find her, he would always have the role of tracking her down, because that was one of the jobs that where mandatory when you where the "best friend". You are the one who has to try to make her laugh, but in reality, he actually quite enjoyed that part, because Robbie could always make Cat laugh, even when she was upset.

He felt like his body had been in split clean down the middle, because the guilt that coursed through him wanted so badly to locate her and apologise for being so frigid with her this morning, he didn't like not speaking to Cat, and he was almost about to rise from the table, until Tori Vega added:

"She told me it was because you shouted at her."

Raising his eye line to meet the girl across from him, he slowly chewed his sandwich, contemplated what he had just heard. The other half of him; the intense anger had won, because now he wanted nothing more than to remain where he was. Cat had a habit of doing this, blaming other people for her obvious mistakes, and normally Robbie would have let it slip… but she chose the wrong day to mess with him.

"I made her cry?" he scoffed, "No, it was lucky boy number 13 who made her cry."

A long time ago Robbie had given up trying to remember the names of Cat's conquests. They became nothing more than numbers to him, because he knew that they were not long-term fixations. So why should he waste his precious mental capacity remembering the names' of the assholes that Cat dated?

Tori Vega groaned as she snapped open the lid of her salad. A new addition to group, she joined the school just a couple of months prior to the summer of senior year. It was a long story that involved swollen tongues and an annoying past pupil: Trina Vega. But Tori was pleasant, inexperienced with performing arts, however she was adapting quite well in her new surroundings, she hadn't been mauled to death by Jade yet, so that was a very good sign that she would last until the end of the school year. Cat had recruited her the very instant she got her foot in the door, handing the latina a lolly, she informed her that she liked her shoes, then invited her to lunch.

She had a habit of doing that too.

"What's wrong?"

Beck Oliver, who had his hand woven tightly around Jade's who had just sat down beside the pair, Jade acknowledged Robbie with a slight nod of her head, but made no effort to greet Tori… that pair still had to work on their relationship. They all looked to Robbie for an answer, but he made no effort to give it to them, instead he took another bite of his sandwich and avert his gaze, choosing instead to focus on André who was performing at the rooftop stage.

When she realised Robbie was in an antisocial mood, Tori took it upon herself to fill the pair in.

"Cat's boyfriend broke up with her."

Like Tori, the pair grimaced, Beck shaking his head like a ragged dog as he unzipped his bag. Jade on the other hand, just took a sip of her coffee and smiled.

"You owe me 5 bucks Vega." She stated, "I told you this one wouldn't last a month."

This news pricked Robbie's ear like a set a pins, snapping his head back, his eyes narrowed.

"You placed a bet on her?"

Recognising his mood shift to sudden anger, Tori tried to placate him, "It was nothing! Just a bit of fun Robbie."

"I can't believe you would do that." He said as he rose from the table, "How is that going to help her?"

They watched as he stormed off, leaving his sandwich abandoned on the table. Beck turned to the girls, Tori bit her lip, clearly ashamed of herself. But Jade just shrugged as she leaned over and grabbed the other half of his sandwich.

"Jade" Beck said, "I know you said that just to tease him, it's not funny you know. Robbie is having a really rough time."

Jade West smiled cruelly, "It's not my fault he is too scared to even admit it to us. I wouldn't tease him half as much if he just told us the truth, you know that I hate liars."

"But Jade, Robbie isn't lying to us." Tori stated, "He's just— "

"I know he's not lying to us Vega." She replied, "He's lying to himself."

""""""""""""""""""""""""

Robbie spent a lot of time staring at his reflection in the boy's bathroom, ignoring the fact that he was ditching Sikowitz's class, mainly because he wasn't ready to speak to Cat yet, but mostly because he wasn't going to leave this room without spotting every imperfection. He wanted to be more like Beck, if only he could look more like Beck. It was difficult to be friends with someone so handsome and charismatic, the girls always flocked around them, they reminded Robbie of those seagulls that you see at the beach when someone leaves their food unattended, they attack, all desperately pecking for a piece of food.

No one was ever like when Robbie was around, Jade frequently pointed out how nerdy he was and teased him about how girls would never want to kiss him… which so had been an accurate hypothesis, because Robbie was seventeen years old, and not once had he been on a date, so kissing girls was just out of the question.

He needed to change, he wanted to change… but it was difficult, how would he go about it? How could he change the shape of his nose, or the size of his ears, his awkwardly big feet? He couldn't imagine himself being bulkier; it would make his head too small for his body. But he didn't want to be stuck like this, every day it weighed him down a little bit more… the fact that no girl found him attractive.

The clang of the school bell spooked him; it shocked him out of his thoughts. Turning on the water he removed his glasses and splashed his face, trying to focus on the things that made him happy, rather than the things that made him upset. Naturally he thought of Cat's laugh, the melodic ring to it when he made her giggle; she made him happy…

But then he remembered how it was like a punch in the gut whenever he saw her with another guy, whenever this other person made her smile.

She also made him incredibly sad.

She was waiting as he pushed the bathroom door open, but he didn't notice her until her slim arms were wrapped around his legs, she was a ball and chain, she dragged Robbie down and he wondered if he could handle it anymore.

"I'm sorry." She wailed, as she clamped on to his leg, "Please don't hate me."

He stopped, allowing her to clamber to her feet. He didn't hate her. He was angry at himself. Mainly because no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't bring himself to stay mad at her; she looked so innocent, biting her soft red lips as she twisted her luscious hair around her fingers in coils.

For the second time today he walked away from her, where he rushed straight out the entrance and made a beeline for his house. Slamming the door shut he rushed straight up to his room, ignoring his mother's questions about why he was home early. He stood in front of the mirror, his thoughts rattling around his head. It was true; he didn't hate Cat, how could he when he was full of such self-loathing. He hated himself, he couldn't bear to look at himself anymore, his reflection was so unkind to him.

He yelled as his fist collided with the mirror, relishing at the pain in his hand, watching as it shattered into a thousand little glittering pieces.

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**hey, don't really know what to say... it's not going to be dark this story... I don't think.**

**No I don't think I am going to go down that path, but I wanted to show that boys can be insecure too, yaknow because us girls always think we are the only ones who hate the way we look.**

**Anyway, if you want an input I am more than happy to listen to ideas :P**

**Love, Sweeney7760**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Running his hand under the cool tap, he winced as she began the difficult task of removing the shards of mirror that had burrowed into his knuckles. Opening the cabinet he pulled out his mother's tweezers and began to poke at his skin with them. He found it oddly cathartic, the sharp pain he felt every time he removed a piece, like every chunk of glass was a bit of his problems being prised away from him.

The small rap on the door made him flinch, "Rob! Hurry up, I have to go to work soon!"

"Just a sec!" he called back.

Grabbing some tissue he wrapped it around his hand and then moved to unbolt the door. Maddie Shapiro was leaning on the wall opposite the bathroom, her head titled down as she tapped her fingers furiously against the screen of her pearphone.

A this point he was being ridiculous, but he was even irritated at his sister, purely because of the way she appeared. She had won first place in the Shapiro gene pool; she was slim due to a fast metabolism, of average height curiosity of their mother, and she had glossy thick and dark hair. Her skin may have been as white as a sheet, but that just made her appear more delicate and precious. The only real resemblance between the two was their rich brown eyes; they had the same flecks of green running through them. A year older than Robbie, she went to community college and worked at Nozu's as a waitress.

As far as siblings go, Robbie supposed he could have had worse. But like most siblings, they quibbled a lot. She liked to taunt him about his looks and his obvious crush on Cat. But he could handle it, because his sister was kind enough to not mention it whenever Cat came over to visit, which was very frequently.

"Wait, wait!" She held up a hand and blocked his path, "What's wrong with you?"

He rolled his eyes at his sister and stared down at her, "Nothing."

If there was one thing he hated about his sister, it was her perceptive nature; she picked up on almost everything. Subtly he tried to hide his hand behind his back, because his hot blood was still spilling out of his hand. But she was too quick for him, grabbing his arm, he yelped as she tugged him down the hall.

"Robbie!" she whispered, not wanting to alert their mother, "What the hell did you do?"

"God it's nothing!" he hissed, as he tried to snatch his hand away.

But she was stubborn, pulling him into her bedroom; she forced him to sit on her desk chair. Flicking the switch of her lamp on, she scrunched her eyes together as she removed the blood-stained tissue paper. Robbie didn't want to look at her, she was about to launch into a thousand questions.

He tried to think of an excuse, "Maddie look-"

She sighed as she left the room, Robbie could hear the sound of her feet thumping down the staircase. He could her soft murmurs as she confessed with their mother, then in an instance she was back in the room, holding a small glass bottle of rubbing alcohol and some gauze. She shook her head as she grabbed her own set of tweezers and dipped them in the alcohol.

"You are supposed to sterilize them first dingus." She lightly teased, as she began to remove the little bits of glass, "You know I thought I heard something smash earlier. You know Robbie, men punch walls, not glass."

Despite himself he smiled, "Suppose that's why I don't classify myself as a man then… And anyway, I was holding a glass and it just snapped in my hand."

Lips pressed together in concentration, his sister continued to remove all the shards of glass but she arched an eyebrow, which told Robbie that she didn't believe the lie he had just fabricated.

"You know you don't have to tell me what's wrong, but if you want to… I suppose I could pretend to listen."

He considered this, he could always tell his sister about this problem. She was, after all, an outsider, someone who did not have any affiliation with Hollywood Arts, meaning that this rumour would not fly around school like wildfire. So with a sigh, he let out his deepest, and darkest thought.

"Do you think I'm unattractive?"

She froze, her tweezers just hovering above his wound. For a moment stared up at her brother, her brown eyes swarming with concern.

Then it clicked.

She was out the door again before Robbie could stop her. Scowling, Robbie brought her left hand up to his face and leaned on the table, immediately filled with a large sense of regret. That was a terrible idea; he had just opened Pandora's box, complete with the terrible consequences that came with it. Robbie squeezed his eyes shut when he heard her bursting into his own bedroom, her quick intake of breath indicated that she had spotted the destruction before she came back into the room.

"Again Robbie!" she hissed as she slammed the door shut, "How many mirrors am I going to have to replace?!"

"I'm sorry!" he muttered, "I just—I can't…"

"You can't what?" Maddie said, running a hand through her hair before it fell to her side, "Last time you told me you dropped your mirror! This time you're punching it? What the hell is going on with you!"

"Keep your voice down!" he ordered, "I don't want mom to hear, she doesn't need to know about this."

She chewed on her lip as she knelled beside him and began to wrap up his hand with gauze, "Are you really that insecure?"

He couldn't bring himself to say the word that they both knew to be true; which was yes,Obviously he was insecure.

But insecurity is not the kind of traits that a boy should possess, and Robbie did not want to be reminded of how he had all of the qualities of a teenage girl. So instead, he nodded slightly and dodged his sister's sympathetic stare.

She took his hand and led him wordlessly into his bedroom and together they began to clear up the mess. Occasionally Robbie would glance over at his sister, wondering if she thought that he was pitiful. Was she ashamed of him? He was meant to be the man of the house since their father was no longer around, and it seemed that Maddie was the one constantly taking care of all of them… he hated her for that; that she was stronger than him… mentally and physically.

He caught his sister cursing under her breath as she bounced to her feet, her phone alarm beeping,

"Crap." She muttered, "I have to get to going to work."

"Right." Robbie replied, "Listen Maddie, forget about what I said, I was just having a rough time today and-"

She glared at him, "Don't be ridiculous. This isn't over Robbie; as soon as I get home we are talking about this."

""""""""""""""""""""""""

He had to get out of there, he needed space to breath, he had to go somewhere... a place that wasn't swamped with objects that would reflect his hideous form. Slamming the door behind him, he flicked his hood up and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Keeping his head pointed towards the ground, he watched his feet as he headed down the lane, hoping that a walk would help his thoughts become somewhat clearer. He was a complete mess, he couldn't remember the last time he felt good about himself, the last time he allowed himself to feel happy for longer than a moment…

And he had the nerve to say Cat wasn't right in the head.

He regretted that thought as soon as it popped into his mind, because now all he could think about was her. The way she pouted whenever she didn't understand, that was often replaced with an adorable laugh because she just thought of some horrible situation her brother had gotten her into. The way she completely changed when she sang, she became more soulful, completely in touch with her emotions that Robbie couldn't help but feel inadequate.

Then again... he always felt inadequate.

Turning into the park he immediately collapsed on one of the park benches, emotionally drained. He felt like he could breakdown at any moment; how long could he go on pretending that he was okay whenever he entered Hollywood Arts? How long before it would just all become too much, he would have an episode, and then people would think he was even weirder.

Gazing over at the park, he watched as all the kids zoomed around, like little monkeys they would clamber up the jungle gym and dangle from their arms, causing their parents to have multiple heart attacks as they extended their arms out, ready to catch them if they feel.

That's what he needed; he needed someone to catch him when he would inevitably fall. He required someone to pick him up, dust him off and make him feel better about himself. He knew who could do that, who could remove all of the pain... but frankly it would take a miracle for that to happen.

A giggle pierced his ears; he could recognise it even in the biggest of crowds. He shouldn't have been surprised when he saw Cat, her legs kicking out as she propelled herself higher on the swing. His stomach did that familiar twist when he spotted her, and he wished there was medication to stop this feeling, it would be so much easier just to not be infatuated with her.

Then she spotted him, squealing his name when she jumped off the swing at the highest point. He watched as gravity pulled her back down to the earth. She was so graceful as her feet touched the ground, knees bent as she landed a few away from the swing set. She waved goodbye to her new small friends as she exited the park and rushed over to him.

She pounced on him; sitting on his knee she wrapped her arms around him. He wished she wouldn't do this, because to her this was a perfectly platonic way of expressing her affection towards him, but to him it felt like so much more… and it tore him apart.

"Why did you rush off today!" she questioned him as slipped off his knees and on to the vacant bench space beside him.

"I had stuff to do." He answered monotonously.

"Oh." She replied; her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, "Is something wrong?"

"How do I look to you?"

He waited, anxiously watching as Cat bit her lip and stared back at him with her enormous chocolate button doe-eyes. Then she opened her mouth, and he thought that he was going to say the words that he desperately needed to here.

"You look like my friend Robbie."

There it was, Robbie would never be anything more than a friend to her, she would never see him as attractive; never see him as boyfriend material. No her idea of boyfriend material was the boy who was just about to jog past them. He saw that familiar glint in her eyes, the kind boys get when they see a massive plate of food that isn't there's:

Hunger and lust.

She was on her feet, faster than Robbie could blink and she stepped in front of him, bashing into the boy they toppled to the ground. Cat was clever when she wanted to be, she knew how to get a boys attention. He was all over her like a heat rash, apologising as he lifted her to her feet, while she just laughed as said it was no problem as she poked his arm… an obvious attempt to feel at his muscles.

"I'm sorry to disturb your date." He heard the boy mutter as his eyes flicked over to Robbie.

Cat dismissed with comment with a flick of her hand, "Oh no! That's just my best friend Robbie! I am completely single."

Robbie stood up, unable to watch anymore, because in a matter of minutes, his Cat would be going out with lucky boy number 14, leaving best friend number 1 at the end of the queue; pathetically waiting and wondering if she would ever stop being so dense.

"""""""""""""""""""""""

That night he lay in the dark, on top of his bed, listening to the soft hum of activity below him. His mother and sister were in the kitchen, he could hear the kettle boiling, the quiet murmurs of their low speaking voices. Then someone was on their feet, softly bouncing up the staircase towards his bedroom door. Maddie slipped into his room and shut the door again, and without even uttering a single word, lay beside him on the bed. He felt the warmth of her touch as she slipped her fingers through his hand. This was a very poignant moment, the last time they lay together was when their dad left him. But he knew she understood that he wasn't ready to say it yet. So they just lay there, staring at the ceiling above them.

"She doesn't like me back." He mumbled; his voice dry and croaky from the effort of not crying.

"I'm worried about you." Maddie said, "Robbie, you have to get your shit together. You are going to end up seriously hurting yourself."

"I've already hurt myself Maddie." he said, his voice grave, "I can't go in everyday and see her, it just hurts too much, and the worst part is she doesn't even realising how much it is killing me."

Maddie rose from the bed, he hand still tight around his as she pulled him up into a sitting position, "There is something I want to show you, come with me."

So, what felt like the millionth time today, he allowed his sister to lead him into her bedroom. Grabbing her laptop she flipped open the lid and the screen glowed, Robbie watched as she opened her internet browser and clicked on one of the saved pages.

"Now don't be mad." She said, "But I told mom about the mirror-"

"Why would you—" he interrupted.

"and she agreed!" she continued, speaking over him, "That you need help. So when I was on my break I made some calls and did some searching and I found this."

"You are sending me to rehab?!" he roared, "Jesus Christ Maddie! I'm not crazy!"

"Calm down!" she shouted, "It's not rehab Robbie! It's a fitness boot camp! It helps those who have a problem with their body image! You go through training, and you have meetings to discuss your progress. I think it could be good for you; it's time away from LA, it's time away from that school."

"What are you talking about?" he ordered, "When is this?"

"You're leaving tomorrow." She told him, "and you will not whine, because this cost me so much money. But I was willing to pay for it because I can't bear to see you like this. You hurt, I hurt. That's just the way it is."

"But I don't think I can-"

"Robbie you need this, you have to get away from Cat. You need time apart."

He stared at the screen, thinking about what little options he had. His sister was right, Robbie wasn't well… in fact the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he hadn't been well for over a year now.. ever since he realised his attraction to Cat.

So maybe she was right to send him away, maybe space would be the best therapy he could receive.

Finally making up his mind, he swallowed his pride and said the words that his sister was dying to hear.

"I'll go."

* * *

** Hey, Hey, Hey**

**As always review with your thoughts... but my god couldn't you just kick Cat!**

**I remembered from the show that Robbie had a sister so I thought I would introduce her! She probably won't remain a character in this story, she shall just fade into the background... poor Maddie.**

**Anyway as I said leave me a little review, I mean 22 reviews on only 2 chapters! I cannot thank you guys enough for your support! **

**I really do love you all! **

**Sweeney7760**

**xoxox**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

For a month and a half, no one had heard from Robbie Shapiro.

It took a while for the students of Hollywood Arts to even realise that the boy had disappeared. After all, that boy was such a wallflower; he could blend into any background purely because he was that insignificant to the general population at his school. They were glad to see the strange boy with the puppet had evaporated into thin air.

Only one girl noticed his disappearance immediately, because he knew that when she pulled her floral-printed curtain over on the day of his mysterious disappearance, she would be surprised to her front lawn empty. For that day, there would be no boy sitting on the grass, waiting faithfully for her like she had grown accustom too, like she always expected.

It didn't cause her immediate concern, she had seen her friend just yesterday, and from what she could tell he was completely fine… happy even, because Robbie always smiled when she was around him. She assumed as she left for school by herself, that when she bounced through the doors of Hollywood Arts, that he would be there, waiting by her locker with some sort of delicious treat to apologise for his absence this morning.

She froze on the spot when she saw no boy with curly black hair and rimmed glasses leaning against her locker door that was adorned with photos. Pouting her lips slightly, she sighed as she opened her locker door… maybe he was ill today. But even that made no sense to the little redhead, because Robbie was fine yesterday.

The chirp of her phone brought her out of this deep thought.

She squealed in delight as she read the short, but incredibly sweet text message. It was from the boy she and Robbie had bumped into yesterday; Liam. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't spotted him before; they went to the same school after all, he was in her singing class, and since the first time Cat spotted him, she was determined to get his attention.

And falling into him was definitely one way to get a male's attention.

A pair of hands snaked around her waist and she spun around in surprise. Smiling in delight she stepped up onto the tips of her toes to give him a swift peck. Wrapping his hand around hers, she immediately forgot about all of her previous thoughts, all about the boy that needed help.

Her mind completely transfixed by her new boyfriend.

"""""""""""""""""""""

It wasn't until later, as she skipped down the lane towards her house that she remembered about her lost friend. It had completely slipped her mind that he had not been in that day, but how had she not noticed his absence in all of her classes, how had she missed that he wasn't at lunch at her.

But the answer was simple; she had simply not cared.

She felt like a terrible friend as she spun around on her heel and rushed back a few houses until she landed at the doorstep of number 50. As she gave the door a light tap, she peered up to his window; she could see no silhouette rising to let her in, and it made her wonder if something wasn't at all right in the Shapiro household.

Pulling out her pearphone, she clicked his name and placed the phone to her ear, biting her lip as she listened to the monotonous ring until finally the call went to voicemail. This time she banged on the door, suddenly worried… because Robbie Shapiro never ignored her, not once had he never picked up her call, he would always answer on the first ring. So the only plausible conclusion she could draw was that he was unconscious in there.

Finally the door swung open, revealing Robbie's sister Maddie, who eyes were red and blotched. She regarded Cat with a look of indignation, which completely bewildered the young girl, because Maddie Shapiro was always pleasant to her.

What was happening with the Shapiro's today?

"Robbie's not here."

Perplexed, Cat peered behind Maddie, to ensure that he wasn't hiding in the hall, or playing some kind of strange trick on her, because if Robbie wasn't with her, where else would he be?

Maddie rolled her eyes as she grabbed a sealed envelope from the small table beside the door; she passed it Cat, who instantly recognised Robbie's messy penmanship. She took it from the older girl and peered at it for a moment, not fully understanding what it was.

"He left this for you." Maddie said as she grabbed the door, "I told him not too."

"Why?" she asked, as she began to rip open the letter.

"Because Cat," she said scathingly, "It's more than you deserve."

Then she slammed the door in her face.

"""""""""""""""""""""

_I can't do this anymore._

_I'm going away for a while and I don't want you to contact me, don't bother trying to ring me because I won't answer, not to you anyway. I need time apart, but understand it is in our best interest. You will understand someday why I had to leave, but not yet, I'm not ready to tell you. But I want you to know one thing, and I want you to think about this, for God Sake Cat, use that brain that I know you have, even though you try so hard to hide it. I want you to think about how without even meaning to, without any conscious knowledge of what you were doing…_

_You drove me to do this._

She lost count of how many times she had read that letter. Every morning for a month and a half she would wake up and read the letter. She hadn't told anyone about the letter, but she would carry it with her always; she would take it to school and peak at it every so often when no one was around, she even brought it on her dates with Liam, whenever he excused himself to go to the restroom, she would frantically dig into her bag and pull out the now worn and crumpled letter, just in case she would finally crack it's cryptic message. It just that so many questions racked her brain that she made her a muddled mess; why had Robbie been so cold in his letter, where had he gone, why had he left?

But the most important question, the one that Robbie wouldn't tell her when he returned, was the one he had left for her to stew over. But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she wanted to use her brain that Robbie was convinced she owned… she just couldn't think of how she had caused Robbie to leave.

After all, she had been his best friend for three years now, ever since freshman year when he had tripped over her. They had an instant connection that Cat had never experienced with anyone else. Robbie was just so dependable, always there when she needed a shoulder to cry on, or when she forgot her lunch money he would always buy her food, he was her go to guy.

She had always been there for him, she listened to his problems. So if he was so sad why had he tried to hide it from her?

It just made no sense to her.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Are you sure about this?"

The boy simply nodded as he pushed opened the car door, slamming it behind him; he gave her a small wave as he hitched his bag further up his back. With a quick exhale, he made his way towards the entrance of the school he questioned for some time, if he would even come back to.

There was so much more that he had wanted to say before he left, so much more than he wanted to say to her; how much she toyed with his emotions like that old purple giraffe she always carried with her, how she held he his hand to often… how she kissed him on the cheek too much and he just couldn't take anymore mixed signals from her.

But he had chickened out, because he was inept with telling people how he really felt. So instead, he wrote he a letter that he had left to Maddie under strict instructions to not deliver the letter to Cat unless she called around the house, because that meant that she actually cared about him enough to seek him out.

So just like that, he left LA, to go to the boot camp his sister desired him to go to, and as soon as the plane took off, he immediately regretted his decision.

As soon as he reached the centre, he felt out of place, he tried to tell the staff that he had made a mistake. That he didn't belong here with all of these people, the boys and girls with eating disorders, the meek and ill. Unfortunately for him, they saw right through that, because Robbie couldn't see it himself, but the staff of the facility certainly could, because his sister had emailed them a photo of her brother just one year ago.

He couldn't see just how gaunt and ill he looked from not eating due to over-anxiety, but they could. They saw the self-harm on his hand, they witnessed the dark shadows that made his eyes look sunken and hallow.

They saw a boy with a serious illness.

They were kind; they placed Robbie in a room by himself and gave him some time alone to acclimatise himself to his new surrounds. So he began to unpack; starting with his clothes he placed them in the small oak drawers, he placed the blanket his mother insisted he take on his bed to add a bit of colour to the bland room. Finally, he removed tacked the photos he had brought from home to his wall; the one of him, his mother and sister and because he just couldn't help it…

The photo of Cat Valentine.

The first day of training was the worst; they made him run until his sides split, until blisters dotted every inch of his feet, until the harsh wind made his sensitive teeth ache, until his stomach had choked up all of its contents. Even though this was the most incredible pain he had ever experienced he made himself push on. He forced himself to swallow every single disgusting protein shake they gave him, because he had a goal, one that he had to reach no matter what the cost.

He wanted to get better, he needed to show everyone that he wasn't pathetic, to prove to every girl that had ever sneered and laughed at him that he was worthy of their attention, he was human, and he deserved to be treated like one.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Then one morning, while the students of Hollywood Arts milled around the corridor before the first bell, some touched up their makeup using a compact mirror, while other students begged their friends for answers for last night's homework, a couple kissing beside the vending machine. They did not realise what a significant day this would be for some of the students that attended this school, because today a boy entered the school, someone new, at least… the students that stopped to stare as he passed could have sworn he was new, because they certainly would have remembered someone who looked like that.

For the first time, girls actually took the time to commit his face to their memory. But he shot straight past them, because he was searching for someone else. He wanted to test his theory; he wanted to finally know if after all this time, he was correct about the importance of beauty.

Rounding the corner, he spotted her immediately; her locker door lay ajar as she stared down at a sheet of paper in front of her. Taking a deep breath, he smoothed down his newly chemically straightened hair and headed towards her.

The crowd watched, intrigued as this new boy headed over to the school's most eccentric and dim-witted student and tapped her shoulder. They heard him softly call her name, saw her eyes pop with surprise as she turned and saw the boy standing in front of her. She was speechless, her mouth ajar.

As she let the crumpled letter slip out of her hand and float to the floor.

* * *

**Hey Hey Hey!**

**Yeah I'm painting Cat in a bad light… but honestly I think it quite realistic! Anyhoo review my beautiful readers and I might just grace you with another chapter tomorrow!**

**Much love, Sweeney7760**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

As she twisted a strand of hair around her delicate fingers, she gawked at the boy who was facing her. He had been gone for so long now that she questioned if he was ever going to return, but now that he was here… She just didn't know how to react. Like snow in the harsh beams of daylight, her mind had melted to mush. She must have been dreaming, she just had to be in a trance… since that could be the only reason this boy was standing in front of her, with that sheepish smile gracing his face as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, which showed Cat those newly defined muscles in his biceps… ones that had not been there a month and a half prior to this encounter.

This boy was so familiar to her; she should have wanted to rush into his arms and embrace him; greet him like two friends reunited. But she couldn't bring herself to move her feet forward, she was anchored to the ground, uncharacteristically cautious of the teenager in front of her.

This was due to the fact that she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she actually knew this boy; not when it seemed as if someone completely foreign had inhabited his body.

This boy seemed taller, he stood up with his head held high, as if he was completely prepared to take on the crowd that had formed around them, if anyone challenged him, he was ready to attack like the dominant male of the pact, and just like those hungry vultures…. the cruel birds that waited for the animals to die before they attacked their carcasses, the students of Hollywood Arts lurked around the pair, craving the gossip that this interaction would certainly transpire.

His crazed curls that stuck out at every angle, the ones that he allowed her to spring back to amuse her; those strands of hair where now straightened and styled; his intense brown eyes where no longer covered by huge glasses, so now she could make out every single speck of green and honey that diluted his dark irises. She couldn't believe that even his clothing had changed. He no longer wore the t-shirts that where branded with witty slogans or iconic symbols that made her giggle (but obviously only after he had explained them to her). No, this imposter wore a plain white t-shirt that clung to his new toned form, in tight jeans and brand new sneakers; she felt her breakfast squirm around in her stomach as she gazed at him.

Because this wasn't her best friend, how could it be when he barely resembled the Robbie Shapiro she met in freshman year.

So here they stood, neither one uttering a word, both of them waiting for the other one to make the first move. Cat uselessly tried to find the right words to say, to express how she felt… but that was the exact problem. She had no idea how she felt.

The crowd watched him as he knelt down to pick up the little crumpled and slightly torn piece of paper. Glancing at it for a second, the boy smirked as he crushed it into a small ball; they heard the girl whimper slightly as he handed it back to her.

"I see you read it."

"I-", her voice cracked, and for the first time, Cat couldn't think of what to say back to him.

Then he swooped in, and led her away from the scene that was making her feel so on-edge that she could have cried out of frustration. His arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder, she allowed her boyfriend to lead her away from Robbie and away from the crowd that had made her feel as big as a mouse. But that didn't mean that she couldn't glance back at him, she had too, just to ensure that this was all real.

He was watching them, his expression undesirable as he too, turned his back on her hand and stalked off in the opposite direction, a group of girl flocking after him.

She clenched the little note in her hand as she excused herself. Prying herself from Liam's grip she snivelled as she dashed off to the bathroom. Passing Tori on the way, she brushed off her attempts to talk about his returns because she was unable to answer her question, she didn't know where he had went, all she knew was that he wasn't the same as before.

As she burst through the bathroom door, she rushed to the first available staff and bolted herself in. Slamming the lid of the toilet down, she sat on it and placed her hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sobs that wracked her petite body.

"I can't believe it… and you say he actually went to this school before now!"

"Oh totally, he was that ditzy redhead's dorky friend, what was his name, Ryan? No wait, maybe it began with a B…"

"Who cares?! We can find out those minor details out later at lunch."

"It's just, when did he get_ that_ good looking?"

She placed her hand to her ears, unable to listening to the gossiping girls that were primping themselves in the mirror in light of the new revelation the news of Robbie's dramatic return was zooming around the school as quick as a beat of her rapidly beating heart. The piece of paper obstructed her hand from covering her right ear, and that's when she remembered his note. Unwrapping it with haste, she smoothed it out until she could make out his messy handwriting, then she scanned the letter, until her eyes fell on his closing message.

_You drove me to do this._

"""""""""""""""""""

Robbie finally understood that old saying that his mother used to say to him when he couldn't admit to something he had done: silence speaks volumes.

Because as he stood there, staring back at Cat Valentine, he was reminded that she was just like he had left her, exactly like the picture he had glanced at every morning before training.

Today, she looked as delicate as a porcelain doll in her tiny floral dress and bright yellow pumps. Her long red hair tied back into a high-ponytail that shook whenever she moved her head. All through his training he had imagined the moment that he would meet her again, when he would finally enter Hollywood Art and be reunited with her. But in all of his fantasies, none of them had included her staring blankly at him, afraid to even say one word to him.

No, he had imagined it much differently. In his visions she would be thrilled to see her best friend once more. Crying in delight, she would waste no time bouncing into his warm embrace and this time he would not cripple under her weight, his arms would not shake with over-exertion. Cat would be in awe of him, she would finally notice him like he had always wanted to.

In this very moment, everything was supposed to be perfect, all the pieces where finally meant to fall into place.

But when did everything ever go right for him?

So instead, he watched bitterly from the corner of his eye as the boy he remembered from the park pushed his way through the crowd and pulled Cat away before she had a chance to say anything comprehendible. He really shouldn't have been surprised that she was still with this boy. But still, he once again felt the familiar stab of pain that he always associated with seeing Cat with another boy. He thought she would have cared more about his absence, at least enough to say hello to him and ask how he was. At the very least they were meant to be friends.

He caught her glancing back at him, her brown eyes searching for answers. But he wasn't going to give them to her; not if she was going to behave like this.

It still wasn't the right time.

She clearly didn't understand the message of that note.

So, he turned away and walked in the opposite direction, wondering for the first time if the distance he had placed between them was something that they couldn't get back from. After all, Robbie was different now, not only physically but mentally. He no longer felt the constant weight of his burden, the pressures of not looking good, because he noticed the way girl's now paid attention to him, how their eyes lingered on him as he passed them in the hall.

The rest of the day was peculiar, because no matter how much he wanted to, he refused to be the one who would make the first move. For the first time ever, he had gotten up to lunch time without having one conversation with Cat.

At lunch he saw her enter the asphalt Café, her little pink lunchbox slapping against the side of her thigh as she bounded in to the area. She came to a halt when she spotted him, and he could see the indecision in her face, whether it was a good decision to take a seat beside him… or go and sit on her own.

But sadly the decision was made for her.

With a snide glance at Robbie, her boyfriend lead them over to another table, the furthest one away from him. He chuckled to himself lightly, because this sight was so common to him. Robbie just rolled his eyes as he stabbed a piece of lettuce with his fork. Cat was so impressionable, she was practically incapable of making her own decisions, so it seemed that her mind, had once again been made up for her.

She chose another boy over her best friend.

A brunette closed in on him, whistling in appreciation as she near his table.

"Looking good Robbie!"

Glancing up, he smiled at Tori Vega, who had chosen to take a seat at his table. She smiled warmly at him as she began to take out her lunch from her bag.

Then before he knew it, Robbie found himself bombarded by people; Jade West plonked herself down opposite him, she merely raised an eyebrow at him as she sipped at her water, clearly unimpressed by his makeover. She was quickly followed by Beck and Andre, who slapped him on the back and shook his hand, welcoming him back. It was a much warmer reception than the one he had received earlier today, and Robbie was glad to see that at least some of his of acquaintances where glad to see him back.

Everyone was interested in his story; he even noticed the slight prick of Jade West's ears as he began to tell his tale. He left out some of the details, namely the therapy that he received at the facility, mostly he just told them about the fitness side of the camp, and how it had helped him grow as a person. But he couldn't help but feel annoyed, because here he sat like some sort of story-teller rehashing his journey to all of these people, while the only person he truly wanted to talk to sat at the opposite side of the café, her back turned.

Completely ignoring his return.

* * *

**You all wanted a new chapter so I thought I best give it to you, I always aim to please as you know! **

**But I had to make it short because I really need to get on with some of my uni work! Gotta prioritise you know ;)**

**But anyway! What did you all think, obviously I'm sure you wanted Cat to jump him, but then what's the fun in that! It's all about the chase people! **

**Also I am building up to the confrontation that you all know is coming!**

**But more importantly; who do you think is in the right here?**

**Team Robbie or Team Cat?**

**Anyway leave me a wee review! **

**Love you all!**

**Sweeney7760**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Not all problems can be solved in a month Rob."

Truer words have never been spoken by Maddie Shapiro, the girl who was currently, seated cross-legged across her floral-printed bed sheets, halfheartedly sifting through her horribly thick college textbook as she half listened to him rant about his first day back at that school.

The day had dragged, so he was more than releaved to hear the final clang of the school bell at half-three. He'd followed the throng of students as they filed out of the classroom, ignoring the teachers screams to study for the big test tomorrow. Relief coursed through his bloodstream as he had approached his locker to collect his books. Until he heard that delighted giggle of the innocent girl as she rushed over to her other half. She hadn't even meant to do it, she was just so oblivious that she didn't notice she had stopped to lock herself in a passionate embrace directly behind Robbie. He was disgusted, he honestly did not understand why couples had to be this open with their relationship, especially in school.

Was the one hour separation so terrible that they had to have these grand reunions straight after them?

He smirked as he slammed the locker, the sudden noise had caused the couple to spring apart, their cheeks blazing. Robbie just stared scathingly at Cat; as she averted his gaze and bit her lip awkwardly, he sighed as muttered goodbye to the pair and made his way towards the exit.

But before he could even reach it, he felt a strong-arm slap his shoulder, Liam had began to direct him to the corner of the hall, away from the students, meaning he was dragging him away from potential witnesses to a scuffle that may occur. He felt his heart quicken, because despite his exterior he was no fighter, he just didn't stand for it. So if Liam was going to hit him, Robbie had no hope in hell of defending himself, even though he definitely could… which would just make him look more pathetic.

"I just want to have a word with you."

He relaxed, but only slight, he made sure to locate his quickest exit route, just incase things suddenly turned sour between the pair. He still envied the naturally beautiful, so he couldn't help add that to every extending list of reasons why he detested Liam. He probably did not have to work half as hard as Robbie had to, to ensure that he looked as great as this. It was probably as easy as rolling out of bed in the morning and throwing on some clothes, he seemed so relaxed about the way he looked that he practically made no effort; his shirt creased, his hair ragged and floppy, but somehow he managed to pull it off.

He was ruggedly handsome… and that made Robbie hate him even more.

"Well, say what you wanted to say then."

The boy's eyebrows cocked slightly, obviously surprised at the smaller boy's sudden spurn of confidence. Robbie forced himself to square his shoulders, because after all, Liam did not know that he didn't condone violence.

He saw the boy's brilliant green eyes flicked over to the redhead who was studying the pair nervously.

"I want you to leave my girl alone."

Robbie scoffed, unable to help himself… that was just so Cat. She was so unable to say it herself that she had to ask someone else to do it for her. So he extended his hand and smiled warmly at the boy, who begrudgingly accepted the handshake.

"I'll stay away from Cat number 14." Robbie said as he reclaimed his hand. Then he spun on his heel and walk away from him, throwing back his voice to ensure that he would hear his final anecdote.

"But I can't promise she will stay away from me."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

He had paced around his sister's carpet so many times now, he was convinced he was beginning to shed away a layer of the thick material. Maddie sat there, pressing a hand to her mouth she tried to stifle her laughter, but to Robbie that action was completely pointless, because he could still see that she was shaking furiously from silent laughter, her cheeks a blazing red.

"I'm sorry." She apologised, as she held her side, "But I can't believe you said that! What is this, a terrible 80's movie?!"

"I thought it would be intimidating!" he said, his cheeks hot with embarrassment, "God, I sounded like such an ass didn't I? I am so bad at this whole... people thinking that I want to steal their girlfriend thing!"

Maddie shrugged, a smile still playing on her lips as she threw a pillow at her brother, "Well, you do want to steal his girlfriend. So I kind of get why he was being defensive."

"I thought you where on my side!" he said grouchily as he slumped down on her desk chair and placed his hand on his forehead, "I thought this would be so much simpler Maddie, I thought she would be happy to see me like this. This is what she wants! Is this not what all girl's want?!"

"Well hey!" Maddie said as she snapped the book shut and jumped off the bed, "Let's not worry about that now! Trust me Robbie, the way that you look now, there will be plenty more Cat Valentines for you!"

He tried to imagine that, dating someone other than Cat, a girl with dull hair, not at all vibrant as radiant red, with a plain laugh, a pretty face but a boring personality.

"I'm not so sure." He muttered.

Maddie placed her hand on her brother's shoulder, "Hey!" she said, an idea clearly forming in that crafty mind of hers, "Why don't you come to Nozu's with me tonight, I'll get you some dinner and you can watch the karaoke people, lots of cute girls sing at it you know."

He shook his head as he headed for his sister's door, "I don't think so Maddie."

Then she slapped him. Hard.

"Let me rephrase." She said, "You are coming with me to Nozu's, you will eat the free meal I have offered you and you will talk to a least one girl that isn't Cat. I am getting you out of this funk Robbie, I don't care how much effort or money it costs me."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

If he had not been in a massive debt to his sister, he probably would have stood his ground and told her that there was no way he was going to her place of work to pry on the girls' that sang karaoke there. But he had to admit, the food in this place was amazing. Maddie had served him a platter, cooing over her baby brother to all of her co-workers, who smirked over in their direction as she squished his cheeks with her hands. Maddie was always like this when they where in public, she loved to embarks him, and in a way he was strangely thankful that she still did this.

She still acted normal around him, like he had never went through treatment.

He sat at the counter, chatting with his sister as she made a task out of polishing one wine glass, dipping it into a plastic jug of steaming water she would wipe it until it glistened. She was so thorough with this task that she hadn't noticed the manager creep up behind her, although Robbie couldn't blame her, the small Asian woman was so stealth that she even caught him by surprise, and he was facing her.

"Maddie, stop messing around!" she ordered, "You know that we are understaffed, stop flirting with the costumers!"

He choked on his spicy tuna roll, unceremoniously spitting it out on to the plate in front of him as Maddie flusteredly explained that he was in fact, her blood relation and in no way would she ever desire to flirt with him. Her manager eyed the boy with new-found interest, which Robbie found rather unsettling. Although, he supposed that after school today he should be used to people staring at him now.

"Do you want a job?"

Robbie didn't even get to answer, because Maddie had butted in for him, barking yes before he could refuse her kind offer. Robbie knew why she was eager, because money had never been tighter in the Shapiro household after Robbie's treatment, so he supposed that because this opportunity had somehow landed in his lap, he should grab it with both of his hands.

Half an hour later, he was kitted out in a black uniform with a check-pad in hand as he wandered around Nozu's taking orders with natural flare, as if he had done it his whole life. He couldn't help but notice that Maddie kept directing him to the tables that only had girls at them. He rolled his eyes at his sister… subtly was never her strong point.

It only validated his theory further, when he pocketed all the tips that he was receiving: that beautiful people do get it better. Because if it had of been the old Robbie serving these girls; with his awkward stance and weak arms, they would have laughed him away, and they certainly would have not been half as gracious with tips… and also phone numbers.

As soon as he back into the kitchen, he asked the manager if he could leave for the night. Only when he received her nod of approval did he make his way out the back door and into the alley behind Nozu's. Heading over to the first dustbin he saw, he fished the receipts out of his pockets and flicked through them. On the back of each one was a different girl's phone number; Amy, Melissa, Lily... he could scarcely believe it... and the worst part was he couldn't remember what any of them looked liked, if he saw them in a crowd he wouldn't be able to pick them out…

They where just names on a piece of paper.

And yet, he still hesitated, his hand hovering over the reeking bin, his hand unwilling to let the flimsy pieces of paper fall into the rotting pile of spoiled food.

"What are you doing?"

The girl's voice spooked him and he made a show of himself, spinning around on the spot to locate the source of the question.

She was leaning, one foot placed on the wall opposite him. Under the low lighting of the crackling porch light, Robbie could make out her blonde hair, that was twisted into a bun on the top of her head, he could see the light of the cigarette that rested between her forefinger and her middle finger as she brought the stick up to her lips.

"Sorry." He apologised, "I didn't even see you out here."

"That doesn't answer my question." She said snarkily as she flicked away some ash, "What are you doing?"

"Oh.." He said, surprised by this girl's abruptness, "Well, I was just going to throw out these bills."

She cocked an eyebrow at him as she stubbed out her cigarette, "They must be really interesting if it takes you that long to dispose of them." She said sarcastically, "So what's the story?"

"Who are you?" Robbie asked, vexed at her abrasive nature, "Why is it any of your business?"

"It's not." She said, with a small shrug, "and my name, well that's none of your business."

"Okay." He replied, unsure how to respond to such a quick remark, "I'm just going to go back inside."

As he neared the door, she snatched the receipts off him and flick through them, whistling as she counted the amount of numbers he received. Angrily, he grabbed them off her as she smiled wickedly at him.

"Well aren't you popular." She teased as he turned his back and thrust open the back door.

"She must be special if you where willing to throw them away."

He let the door swing shut, remaining in the alley with one of the most mysterious girls he had ever met. As she re-lit another cigarette, he glared at her, unsure if she was a crazed stalker… or just really insightful.

He decided to believe it was the latter.

"What did you say?"

She rolled her eyes as she blew smoke out in rings, "I said." She replied smartly, "She must be special."

"She is." He said carefully, not wanting to give too much away.

"But she doesn't like you." She said with a sigh, "It's written all over your pathetic little face."

"What gives you the right to talk to me like that?!" he demanded, his cheeks blotted with flushes of crimson.

"I don't know." She replied, "You're the one still standing here talking to me."

"Because you keep replying to my—" he let out a frustrated groan, "Oh forget it!"

"You know, if I was you." She stated, as she flicked yet another cigarette out of her hand, "I would do something to make her notice me."

He laughed at her remark, "Yeah I already tried that."

She smirked at his response stating, "Well, you obviously didn't try hard enough."

As she brushed past him and entered the back entrance of Nozu's. Leaving a very bemused Robbie standing alone in the cold alley, he could still smell the strangely sweet fumes from her cigarette that was mixed with a floral scent that must have been her perfume. He couldn't stop thinking about her words as he began to walk in the direction of home. Maybe she was right, this girl whose name he didn't even know… maybe he had to try just a little bit harder.

But still he was curious, he found himself wanting to know more about that girl. Who was she, how old was she, and more importantly:

How did she seem to know him better than he knew himself?

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

He found his answer in school the very next day, there it was, situated very neatly on his school locker. Tacked to the metal door was a flyer, a bright pink slip that was scattered with writing. He smiled as he scanned the flyer, before dashing off to in the direction of the auditorium. This plan was simple, let so effected that it would not fail, because this way Cat would be forced to be with him, unable to avoid him, unable to run away from her emotions like she always did.

Slipping through the back door he joined a row of students who where listening to their acting coach Sikowitz explain the plot of the play to them. As they listened, they passed the sheet around, when it reached Robbie, he quickly scribbled down his name.

The plot could not have been more perfect for in the 1930's, the play was about a man torn between two girls; two polar opposites. His parents want him to be with the clinical and professional one with a fortune to her name, and he goes along with it, until he meets the quirky and soulful jazz singer when he is drowning his sorrows.

Quickly scanning the crowd he spotted the redhead; she was sitting in the front row, her hand grippping her script tightly.

"As you all know!" Sikowitz said as he gestured for her to stand, "I promised the role of Grace to our little Cat here after the prop house in the last play fell on top of her."

Cat smiled and waved at the crowd, apparently unfased by the event that had happened to her previously.

"So!" Sikowitz cried with a clap of his hands, "We will be auditioning the roles of Jamie and Cynthia today."

Racing over to the final student he snatched the sheet from him, "Let's see…" he mumbled as his eyes flew up and done the list.

"Is Robbie Shapiro back?" he questioned.

He rose to his feet, giving Sikowitz's a small wave before crossing his arms, "Hey Sikowitz"

Sikowitz grinned toothily at the boy, before he flicked his hand in a beckoning fashion, "My dear boy! You have gone through some transformation, come up here then. Let's start these auditions… Tess I want you up here to audition with Robbie."

Grabbing one of the scripts off the small table Robbie flicked through it, trying to quickly memorise some of the lines before his audition began. He wished he had been more prepared, but there was no going back now, because he was getting that role.

He had too.

"And action!"

"You wanted to see me?" the girl asked, her voice sweet as she read from her script.

"Yes I wanted to ask you something.."

Then he looked up, and finally he had his answers. He now knew the minor details; who she was, where she was from… her name.

The elusive Nozu's girl was a member of his school.

* * *

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**Sweeney7760!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Wait!"

He chased after the bouncing main of blonde hair as she weaved through the crowd, intent on losing Robbie, who was hot on her feet. Crashing through the escape door he followed her as she sped up the spindle staircase and disappeared on to the open roof space… the only roof the students weren't allowed on. Without a moment's hesitation he climbed after her, flicking his head back to make sure no one saw him.

As he reached the top step, he gasped at the sight before him. It was a masterpiece; that was the only word that could describe the beauty that lay hidden on this roof. Cans of paint dotted the space, and the pattern… it was like nothing he had ever seen, if he focused on it for too long, it seemed to change, the delicate swirls of pink diluting the emerald green, the intricate circles seemed to spin. It was completely psychedelic, and he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from it.

Tess was sitting at the very corner of the mural, her mutterings muffled by the cigarette that was stuck between her lips. Apparently her lighter was being temperamental, he could hear the soft clicking but that wasn't succeeded by the tiny spark of light that would burn her cigarette. Angrily, she tossed she shoved the lighter back into her pocket, along with the unlit cigarette. She glowered at him, her cat-like green eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You know, when someone doesn't respond to your calling…. It is usually an indication that they don't want to talk." She said hotly, as she brushed a tendril of hair that the soft breeze had displaced.

Taking a step onto the roof, he heard her hiss like a vexed cat as his foot touched the dry paint.

"Watch where you stand!" she ordered, "It took me months to paint that!"

He held up his hands, indicating that he would comply as he lifted his foot up. Carefully, he scooted around the elegant portrait, stepping only where he could see the concrete that originally covered the roof, until finally he reached the unpredictable blonde and sat down beside her.

"I don't understand."

She scoffed, "Why doesn't that surprise me."

"Why haven't I seen you around here before." He said, mostly to himself; ever since he clasped eyes with her in the auditorium, he had tried to place her in this school, but sadly his image of any girl was always clouded by red-hair and brown eyes.

"That's because you weren't looking." She stated, glancing at him before shaking her head and taking out her pack of cigarettes again, "Do you have a lighter?"

"No." he said as he looked down curiously at the cigarette, "You really shouldn't smoke you know, they will kill you."

She rolled her eyes as she shook her lighter vigorously, "Yeah I don't get why people say that… I mean statistically speaking, binge drinking kills people faster than smoking, and you wouldn't go on to the ones in this school who constantly rant on about being so smashed at the weekend. Plus I could be killed tomorrow by a bus or anything, so why should I be worried about smoking a little now and then."

Her defensiveness caused him to smile, despite the fact that her message was completely negative and let's face it, a little morbid. When she finally got her cigarette to light, she clenched her free fist triumphantly before taking a long drag; she slumped back and let her eyes flutter shut for a second, the cigarette apparently calming her.

She extended her arm and placed it under his nose, "Do you want some, after all that's why you are here isn't it?"

"No it's not." He replied as he gently pushed away her hand, "I followed you because I want to know who you are."

"But I don't want you to know who I am." She said, "Simple as that Robbie Shapiro."

He considered walking away, he could have marched his dirty shoes over her beautiful painting, effectively destroying it; it would serve her right for being so unforthcoming.

But he was too soft to do that to her, especially since she had covertly given him good advice. So instead he remained on the concrete, the cold contact chilling his body. They sat side by side, the only audible sound being the soft burning of her cigarette as it dissolved into a blunt. Finally as she flicked away the stub, she turned to him.

"Why are you still here?" she demanded, "Shouldn't you be hanging out with all of the perceived _cool_ students that go here."

"You knew who I was didn't you." He said in reply, "Last night, when we were in that alleyway. You knew I went here."

The corner of her mouth curled slightly as she rose to her feet. Grabbing a paint-can, Robbie watched as she pried the lid up with her sharp blue-painted fingernails. Retrieving a paint brush she began to paint, her concentration now fully fixed on her drawing. But still Robbie waited, wondering if she was going to give him an answer, even though he was pretty sure he knew it would be, but still it would bring him some clarity to hear it come from her pink tinted lips.

Not raising her head, she said as she continued to paint, she finally asked, "What do you see here?"

Not quite understanding, Robbie arched a brow and said the most obvious answer, "A painting."

"Yes… One day, I decided I that because spend more time up here than I do indoors, that I was going to make it look more appeasing. So I started to paint it, and sure it may look pretty now, but at the end of the day it's still what it always was… just the roof of a building." She looked directly at Robbie, and he felt his stomach drop, a chill rippling down his back, "Do you get what I'm saying?"

He nodded, unable to say anything else… This girl was… he couldn't even think of a word to describe her; she must have remembered how he was before his transformation. Right now she must have been recalling his terrible physical form; the curly hair, the wonky glasses, the horrible clothes. It made him ill to even think about it, how hideous he was before… and yet she was reminding him of it; sure he may look different on the outside, but on the inside he would always be that Robbie, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"Who are you?" Robbie demanded, "When did you even start going here?!"

"I hate that." She muttered as she continued to draw with such precision, "How people can be so self-absorbed, so worried about how other people see them; that they fail to notice the other people that are just like them."

"God you're impossible." Robbie muttered as he rose to his feet and grabbed his bag, "I wish I hadn't followed you up here."

"So… Cat Valentine huh?" She said as she rose, blocking his path, "You're in love with her."

Robbie could have shaken here out of frustrating; she was quite simply, the most aggravating person he had ever met. She was uncouth with a strange temper so he just walk away… but then she would say something like this. She played him like a puppet, knowing exactly what string to pull to stop him in his tracks, leaving him with no choice but to hear what she had to say.

"So what if I am." Robbie said, a blush tumbling down his defined cheekbones, filtering his originally pale cheeks, "That's my business."

"Well you are so obvious about it I assumed you were making it everyone's business." She countered, squaring up to him, her heeled boots making her only a head smaller than him, "Yeah, performing the main role in the same play as her, I have to admit that is definitely one way of making her notice you."

"Why are you interested in me?!" He implored, "Why do you even care?"

"Once again, you are the one still standing here talking to me."

"Well then forget it! I'm leaving!" He shouted back at her as he pushed past her.

"Well good because I prefer being alone." She bit back as she swung her arms out dramatically, causing her to stagger back and tip over the pot of mint-green paint.

She cursed under her breath as she watched the liquid slowly oozing out across her master piece, scrambling to her knees trying to correct her mistake, continuing to curse, her words becoming more colourful and crude by the second. He sighed heavily, cursing himself for just being so soft, for feeling so obliged to help her, because this was partly his fault.

Grabbing an abandoned sheet in the corner and a paintbrush and returned over to her, she glared at him as he kneeled in the puddle of green and smiled sheepishly at her.

"How can I help?"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

It took a lot of bickering before Tess would even allow his paintbrush to touch the ground; she was so particular about her vision that she had given Robbie the simplest task, trying to scoop up most of the paint that had tainted her drawing. They worked in silence, occasionally glancing over at each other. The more time he spent with her, the more he found himself wanting to know about her, not because he was interested in her romantically, he just wanted to know more about her as a person. But every time he opened his mind to begin a conversation, she would harshly shush him. He had lost track of how long they had been painting on the roof, had it been an hour?

His question was answered by the throng of students that began to stumble into the afternoon heat, he could hear them below, the music began to thump, and the delicious aroma of burgers that Fetus grilled in his food truck teased his nostrils.

A common lunchtime tradition at Hollywood Arts.

"You can go." She muttered, as if she was answering his thoughts.

"Don't you go to lunch?" he asked, "Everyone has to eat."

"I prefer to stay up here, away from everyone." She murmured, as she rose and sat on the edge of the roof top. Grabbing her bag, she pulled out an apple.

Robbie pursed his lips together as he rose to his feet and grabbed his bag. But instead of walking away, he too pulled out his own lunch; which consisted of a salad, a protein shake and a protein bar. He sat down beside her and opened his salad. She raised an eyebrow as he nibbled on a piece of lettuce, but kept mute. With a satisfying crunch, she took a huge bit of the shinning red apple and looked away from him, staring at the crowd below them.

"I don't get you at all." Robbie admitted after he swallowed his food, "How can you say I never noticed you, when you hide yourself away."

She chewed her apple slowly, considering his question for a moment.

"Well, let's just say I didn't always attempt to hide away from everyone." She didn't meet his eyes, and once more Robbie felt like she was slowly reeling him in, he wanted to know more, he wanted to know what she meant by that enigmatic sentence.

But before he could ask her anymore, she interrupted with some of her own questions. She gestured to the asphalt café, and he followed her arm, where his eyes landed on the one and only Cat Valentine.

Today she was seated next to the gang, her smile wide as she laughed heartily at some anecdotal tale that André appeared to be telling to the group of teens. He felt his stomach lurch painfully and he looked away.

Unfortunately the look of want and lust did not escape her notice.

"What's so special about her?" she wondered, "What makes her stand out, I just don't get it?"

"She's just—she is the first person who noticed me, the first person to accept me as a friend." He explained, "She is kind, loving and incredibly sweet—"

"Is she really though?" Tess questioned, "Because it seems to me that if she was those things, you wouldn't be sitting up here with me, you would be down there with her."

"I'm waiting." He replied, trying to find an excuse for Tess' accurate statement, "I want her to come to me. I'm tired of always being the one running after her, for once I want the table to be turned."

She nodded, then she chucked her apple, straight in the direction of the redhead, he heard her yelp as it bounced off her head, her hands flew to her red hair, her brown eyes flying in every direction as she attempted to figure out who her assaulter was. In a blind panic, he grabbed Tess and pulled her to the ground where they rolled, she luckily, fell on top of him… and he landed, rather unfortunately… in the pile of green paint.

"Are you crazy?!" he hissed, "What was that about?!"

She laughed, "You said you wanted her to come to you, I thought I would help speed along the process."

"So what, you hit her on the head with a rotting core?! Oh yeah that makes—"

The sound of someone clearing his throat made him pause abruptly; Tess pressed her lips together, apparently trying not to laugh at the figure of authority. This teacher had just caught the pair on the forbidden part of the school, and in a very compromising position.

"Oh Robbie." Lane said sadly, "This doesn't look good at all."

* * *

**Hey everyone!**

**Yes I know, you are probably thinking, Sweeney what the hell are you at! This is meant to be a Cabbie story! And I promise you that if you are patient... you will be rewarded greatly!**

**Anyway, what do you think of Tess; love her or hate her (or both, she is a bit temperamental)**

**Personally I quite like their growing friendship.. but you know I am the writer so I suppose I would!**

**Anyhoo on another topic has anyone ever heard of The Creative Victorious Awards? If so does anyone know how you nominate people/ if it is still open?**

**Because I know who I want to enter! **

**And you know if it's still open and you would desire to nominate me… well I wouldn't say no! and maybe… it would cause me just to type a little bit faster and upload more chapters..**

**Just a thought!**

**Anyway… Loves and kisses and all that stuff**

**Sweeney7760**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"So let me get this straight… You expect me to believe that you two fell on top of each other?"

The pair nodded, sitting at opposite sides of the sofa, Robbie crinkled and cracked every time he made even the slightest of movements, due to the fact that he had to sit on a sheet of plastic to avoid the spread of paint onto the furniture.

He was so embarrassed, as he was guiding down the spindled staircase by Lane, Tess only a step behind him as she tried to explain to Lane what he had just seen. The student's conversation died down to only a soft whisper as they watched the two students. Robbie could see from their shocked expressions, he knew that they were quickly calculating their own assumptions. Two students; one a boy the other a girl, alone together on the forbidden roof space… with the same suspiciously placed paint on their body parts.

People did love to assume the worst.

"It's true." Tess said, "But it was my fault, I threw the apple. It accidently hit Cat and Robbie didn't want me to get into trouble so he grabbed me and pulled us down in an attempt to shield us from the students."

She smiled sweetly, it caught Robbie completely off guard, because she had only ever sneered in his presence, "But of course Lane, you are just so perceptive. I should have known you wouldn't miss anything."

Lane remained impartial, glancing over at Robbie; he directed the question to him, "Is what she is saying true Robbie?"

"Yeah, that's all that happened I swear." Robbie said, his voice wavering slightly, "You aren't going to suspend us are you Lane?"

"No… No Robbie, neither you nor Tess will be suspended." Lane stated, but he clasped his hands together.

But his cold gaze told Robbie that they were out of the deep end yet, "But, you will have to do afternoon detention today for being in a forbidden zone. Half-three on the dot, you two will report to the library."

"Lane really, is it that bad?!" Tess tried to argue, "I mean I have work after—"

"Tess if you want me to forget that cigarette bud I saw on the rooftop." Lane said, his voice curt and clipped, "you will stop complaining and join Mr. Shapiro in detention."

She slumped back in the chair and crossed her arms, "Fine."

"Robbie, I suggest you go to reception and look through the lost and found box for a change of clothes." Lane said, as he rose to open the door.

They left the office with haste, neither of them said a word as they darted down opposites sides of the hall. Robbie headed straight for the office, keeping his eyes planted on the ground as he tried to block out the whispers and suspicious eyes that where directed at him. He was relieved when he made it to the office and began to sift through the disregarded, sad and abandoned items of clothing. He found a pair of HA sweatpants, thanked the woman at reception and made his way to the bathroom.

As he opened the door, the boys that occupied the toilets immediately desisted speaking. Robbie bid them hello before he moved towards the stall.

"Whoa man!" One of the boys he did not recognise stopped him, "Is it true you were getting fresh with a girl on the roof?"

"No!" Robbie said monotonously, already bored of the attention he was receiving, "We just fell over _and that's all_." He emphasised the last words to try and get his point across, but it appeared to fall on deaf ears, because this boy just grinned and held up his hand, a clear attempt to get Robbie to high-five it.

He ignored it, bolting himself into the stall, he began to change. For this first time his size annoyed him, this stall was almost too small for him to move around, he had wacked his arm off the door too many times already, before he joined in the bathroom by two jeering teenagers.

"No wonder you look shattered! That little redhead must have been keeping you up all hours!" he heard one of the boys cheer, "Good job man, she is fine!"

Now, Robbie didn't condone violence, he told himself to remain moral, no matter what the situation… but he had never wanted to punch someone so badly before. But he bit his lip, and remained in the stall, because he couldn't afford Liam to find out that he was in the same room while they discussed this.

"Not even. It was from that other girl, what d'you call her, Mandy maybe…" He replied, "I've been listening to Cat for a whole month and a half and I have had next to no action. All the other guys told me she was completely wild when she was with them, otherwise I wouldn't have touched her, she has so many issues."

The other guy laughed, "I know! Have you seen that stupid giraffe she loves to carry around? I mean what age is she, five?"

His harsh laugh rang in Robbie ears as he stood behind the stall. He could feel his heart pumping, his breath quickening, just like it did after a workout. His adrenaline was racing, he couldn't believe what he was hearing; how they could be so cruel about someone like Cat?

It was all too much for him to take anymore, he had reach his tolerance level, he could feel himself bubbling over, like a volcano that was about to explode, he grabbed the door handle and flung the door open, letting it crash against the wall.

The two boys jumped when they spotted one, Liam's cocky friend actually took a step back at the sight of the livid boy. Robbie clenched his fists as he came toe to toe with Liam. Liam's eyes widened as he spotted him, he raised his hands defensively.

"Look man, we were just kidding, I mean you know-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Robbie cut him off, blood was coursing through him, he was in a blind rage, "I always knew you were scum, and now I have the proof."

Liam scoffed, "What proof? It's your word against mine."

"Cat will believe me." Robbie said with confidence, "I've been her best friend for years, you're just her latest fascination."

"You used to be her best friend. You better start realising Robbie," he added with a cruel smile, "That Cat doesn't trust you anymore."

It took all of Robbie's strength to wipe that smugly smart expression of his face. But he had already gotten in trouble today, and he didn't need to be suspended. Then he would have absolutely no chance in getting the part in that play; where he was definite he would achieve the last laugh.

So he left the room, marching out of the bathroom, he headed straight for Sikowitz's classroom, where they were having their final lesson of the day. She was sitting on one of the chairs, chewing happily on a piece of candy, she laughed at a video on her pearphone of a singing cow. Robbie tried to collect himself as he approached her, because Cat was like a deer, she would dash away petrified at the slightest indication of danger. So he had to pretend everything was okay, then once he had lured her into a sense of security, it was then he would strike with the awful news.

"I need to talk to you."

She glanced up, evidently shocked that he was sitting beside her, speaking to him, "I don't think that's-"

"Please Cat." He pleaded softly, "It's important."

She glanced at the door, and for a split second Robbie thought she was going to make a mad dash for the exit. But she remained seated; she even offered him a piece of candy as she gave him a small nod of the head.

"Okay." Robbie said as he accepted the piece red liquorish, "It's about—"

"Good afternoon my little dramatic protégés!"

Robbie wanted to rise and pushed Sikowitz's out of the door, that man always had the worst timing; it's as if he could sense the mad drama that was about to happen, so obviously he had to place himself in the middle of it. Cat's attention was no longer on Robbie, much to his annoyance; it was focused instead on the lesson. She was listening intently, biting her lip slightly as she tried to make notes in her notepad, but instead she got distracted, and began to draw a cartoon cat drinking milk from a little dish.

"Okay!" Sikowitz said as he banged his hand down on the table, "That is enough boring theory for one day! Time for this weeks Alphabet Improv!"

"Oh yay I love letters!" Cat cheered innocently as she jumped to her feet.

"Well, seeing as you are on your feet, Cat take the stage." Sikowitz boomed, "Tori, André and Robbie, I want you guys up here now."

Robbie got to his feet with nervous anticipation; he had to tell her now, because after this class Cat would inevitably run into the arms of her seemingly perfect boyfriend and Robbie would never get the opportunity to tell the Cat the horrible truth.

"Okay Cat, you start on the letter E." Sikowitz's commanded, "And Go."

"Everyone shut up and look at me!" she demanded.

"For what reason?" Tori asked.

"Given that Cat hardly ever speaks it must be important." André added.

"Here's an idea, why don't we discuss Cat's boyfriend."

Robbie saw her forehead crinkle as she looked at him, "I don't think that's a good idea…" Cat mumbled.

"Sure it is!" Tori said, before realising her mistake, "No emm, Don't Sikowitz!"

She was cut off by a loud buzzing noise made by their teacher, and she stomped off to her seat, annoyed that she could have made such a trivial mistake.

"Just go with it." André said, trying to persuade Cat.

"Kay, Kay." She muttered, her cheeks reddening as this continued.

"Literally find it strange that you can't see how bad he is for you." Robbie said, he tried to control his anger, but he could hear the comments Liam had made about her earlier, they swam around his mind, taunting him.

Cat squealed slightly, as she stomped her foot, "Maybe you don't know him."

"No Cat, you don't know him." Robbie argued, taking a step closer to her.

"Okay, I'm out." André stated, throwing his hands up in the air as he disembarked this tense conversation.

"Please just respect my relationship! Why do you hate all my boyfriends?" she demanded.

"Quibbling won't solve this! But to answer your question it's because I think they are all asses!"

The students ohh'd at that remark and Cat took a step away from him, appalled at his language. He knew that she hated people who said bad words, which in her mind was anything crude. He mouth opened slightly as she searched for her next line.

"Rich coming from someone who just got caught condoling of the roof!" she shouted.

"So not what happened; it was taken out of context!"

"Talk about being a hypocrite!"

"Unfair, is what I think that comment is!"

"Very well then, what did you have to say?!"

"Well he's cheating on you, and you have to believe that I am not saying this to hurt you, I am telling you because you are my best friend!"

The truth spilled out of him of him, he didn't realise just how detrimental those words would be until he saw her expression. Hot tears sprang in her eyes as she took a step away from him.

"You're not my best friend." She whispered, her voice cracking under the pressure of trying not to cry, "The Robbie I know would never have been this cruel."

Her final words before she grabbed her bag and rushed out the door… her cries echoed through the halls as she rushed away from her former best friend. Robbie stood on the small platform; he had won the battle.

But he had lost the war.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

He didn't even bother to try and chase her, because he knew that for the first time… when he found her he wouldn't be able to make her smile, unable to make her laugh: because he was the reason for her tears.

So instead he headed towards the library as soon as the final bell sounded. He slammed his bag onto the table and placed his head on top of his crossed arms. He was wrong, he realised that now how great of mistake it was to publically announce it to Cat.

"Feeling sorry for yourself Shapiro?"

Looking up he saw Tess lounging on the chair beside him, one of her knees resting on the edge of the table as she doodled on the corner of one of her notebooks.

"How do you move so silently?" He wondered as he placed both his hands on his head.

"Well we are in a library." She mumbled, "Silence is kinda mandatory."

"I am really not in the mood for your satanic style." Robbie muttered.

"Why?" she mused, her tone amused, "Cat got your tongue?"

"Oh haha." He replied sarcastically, "I'll have you know—"

"Oh no!" Lane had just walked into the library, "You two separate right now!"

With a strangled noise, Tess rose from the seat and went to the table directly opposite him, "Don't worry Lane. I can keep my hands to myself."

""""""""""""""""""""""""

Time no longer had any meaning to Robbie, because it was all perception to him now; a minute felt like a cruel eternity. Every second he was forced to sit here, he knew that Cat was probably at home weeping in the arms of her low-life boyfriend who would be spoon-feeding her lies like the child he thought she was.

After only half an hour, Robbie thought he was going to lose his mind; he couldn't concentrate on anything other than explaining to Cat why he had to tell her the truth.

His prays where answered when Lane slipped out of the room to answer a very important call. Not wanting to waste a second of his limited time, he slammed her number into his phone and pressed dial.

The ring sounded three times before it was finally answered.

"Oh thank God." He muttered, "Listen Cat I am-"

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

His pulse quickened instantly, "Liam." He mumbled, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Tess turn her head, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Listen here you son of a bitch, I will not rest until Cat realises what you are-" he began, his voice low and intimidating, "I swear to God."

"Cat doesn't want you to call her anymore; she doesn't want you to come around to her house. She told me tell you to think about this: she wants you to think about how you drove her to do this."

Then the line went dead.

"Son of a bitch!" Robbie shouted as he slammed his phone down onto the table.

"So" Tess said her voice for once void of all amusement or sarcasm, "I take it you messed up?"

"What makes you think I messed up?" he replied hotly, "It's her fault for dating a lying, cheating bastard like Liam Stanson."

She hopped over to the vacated seat beside him, "Liam Stanson? He's in your year right? Tall, tanned, toned, charming in a conventional way?"

"Wait what age are you?" Robbie asked.

"Year below you but not the point." She said quickly, "Is that who she is dating?"

"Yeah." Robbie said carefully, studying her cautious expression, "Why so interested."

"I hate him." She said, "He took something of mine that I can never get back."

"What do you—" he spotted her widened her eyes, smiling slightly at him as she nodded, "Oh."

She averted her gaze, and Robbie felt suddenly quite awkward, he had wanted to know about Tess, but maybe now she was sharing just a bit too much.

"He dragged my name through the mud, made me out to be a- God never mind! That's not important." She said, her cheeks heating up, "But I want to help you."

"You want to what?" he said, smiling slightly, "What happened to you not wanting me to know anything about you?"

"Things change." She said with a shrug, "I'm going to help you get her away from him, because trust me, this is not going to end well for her if it continues."

Then she was back in her original position, lazily doodling in her book as Lane walked back into the room. Robbie glanced over at her, shocked by the revelation he had just heard. It did explain a lot, her abrasiveness, the fact that she was now a recluse in this school. But just how had this rumour managed to slip past Robbie ears; was he that wrapped up in Cat Valentine that he was absolutely oblivious to everything else?

In short, yes he had been. Tess had pointed that out to him earlier.

Spotting him staring at her, she gave him a smile, not a sneer, but an actual smile. So Robbie smiled back, because now he had someone to bear this burden with that wasn't his sister.

So what that if right now Robbie had lost Cat as a friend, because Robbie didn't want to be just Cat's friend.

He had never wanted to be only friends.

So it didn't matter that he had lost a friend, because he had gained a new one.

And a brilliant one at that.

* * *

**Ah some Cabbie drama.**

**And establish Tebbie friendship :L**

**Forgot to say Flamekat, I didn't even think about it, but she did sound like sam in chapter 5!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"It's not rocket science! Just pick one!"

Robbie rolled his eyes at Tess as he grabbed hold of the two plates of food from the kitchen. It had been a week since the detention incident, the one in which she agreed to help him with his overbearing problem regarding the one person that Robbie loathed and loved simultaneously:

Cat Valentine.

That day, Tess and Robbie had walked together in silence, until finally; Tess had demanded to know why he appeared to be walking him home. She explained to him she was a big girl and she didn't need a bodyguard. Robbie had defensive replied that this was the direction that he lived in, and that their walking together was completely unintentional.

He had to admit that he still didn't quite understand the enigma that was Tess, just that day she had promised to help him, she was actually being friendly to him… then the next second she was a hermit once again, wanting nothing more than to be left alone as she stomped off home. It was then he discovered that Tess on the street next to him, which wasn't the best of areas by any means. He saw her cheeks tint pink as she mumbled that this was her street and rushed down it the graffiti infested area. Robbie excused her strange behaviour after this encounter, because if his time away from LA had taught him anything, it's that underneath the surface, everyone has issues that they may not be ready to express.

When he arrived at Nozu's for his first official shift, he spotted her the moment he pushed through the double doors. She was dressed like the first time he had ever met her, in all black with a short mauve waiter's apron that held her check pad… and taking a wild guess at what that strange cuboid was; her cigarettes. When he caught her eyes she came straight over to him and shoved her check-pad into his chest. He took it without question as she told him which tables he would be serving tonight alongside her. He had idiotically assumed that working with her might have been quite fun; because he was working with a friend.

But he soon discovered that Tess a nightmare to work with.

Robbie practically had to single-handedly serve every table. This was due to the fact that every time Tess left the kitchen and saw that, she would walk straight back in and leave it to Robbie. Currently his rough-around-the-edges friend was propped up on top of the counter, eating a California roll.

"Tess!" The chef bellowed, "Off the work-top!"

Smiling at the chef she slipped off the counter and followed Robbie as he walked back into the restaurant. Robbie tried to ignore her presence behind him as he served the platter to the two very attractive girls in one of the purple booths.

"Enjoy your meal."

They both smiled warmly at him as he walked away, shooting Tess a furtive look as she snorted with laughter.

"Someone is hunting for tips." She mumbled as she brushed past him, a pile of napkins in her hand. She handed them to the man who was so overweight; Robbie could see a strip of his pale, blubbery and extremely hairy stomach. He was shovelling food into him like it was his final meal, it made what little contents there was in Robbie's stomach, wanted to make a reappearance.

"Phil what I have I told you about actually chewing your food!" Tess said her voice light-hearted, "Wipe your face! You are a mess."

He smiled at her as he accepted the napkin, and she turned her back, winking at Robbie as she flounced away back into the kitchen, her high pony-tail bouncing as she walked. He rushed back into the kitchen, shouting at Mrs. Lee that they were both going on their break. Together they went outside, Robbie sitting on top of one of the metal dustbins while Tess had her forth cigarette of the day.

"So those girl's think your cute." She said casually, "You should ask one of them out."

He scoffed, as he turned her lighter over in his hand, "Yeah I don't think so, how is that going to help with the problem."

"It makes you look desirable dummy." She said as gave him a little whack on the back of the head, "You told me that Cat was vain."

"I never said vain." He said defensively, "I just said that she likes a certain type of boy."

"So vain." Tess concluded.

"She always goes for the same guys, they are all like Liam. I just don't understand why she can't see how toxic he is." He muttered, flicking the lighter on and off, "Why does she always go for the douche-bags?"

"He's..." Tess' voice drifted off.

Taking another drag of her cigarette; she pushed back whatever information she was going to tell Robbie, leaving him disappointed. All week he had hoped that she would finally open up to him and explain how her relationship with Liam had broken down, so he would know exactly what was in store for Cat.

Twisting her foot on top of the cigarette, Tess opened the huge black back door and held it open.

"Come on. We have to get back."

""""""""""""""""""""""

After three of the most gruelling hours Robbie had ever experienced, he finally got to stamp out of his shift at Nozu, he pushed through the swinging doors and placed down the platter of food in front of Tess, who rubbed her hand in anticipation.

"This is completely the best part of working here." She stated as she snapped her chopsticks and began to munch on her meal.

"So, how many numbers did you get tonight?" she asked, her mouth full of sushi.

"Three." He said, "But I'm not going to call any of them."

"Why not?" she ordered, "Date one of them and make Cat jealous in the process. How is that not an "everyone wins" situation?"

"Well it could be because not everyone wins Tess." He replied heavily, "I can't just date a girl without true intentions, that is not fair to at all, because then what? I dump her the second Cat comes running. That's just cruel."

She gazed at him, as she leaned back in the booth, studying him intently.

"You are a really good guy Robbie." She said earnestly.

Robbie pressed his lips together, as he nodded and looked down at his food, "It's a pity that girl's don't seem to like good guys."

She sighed as she threw her napkin on to the table, "Liam is a dick, trust me Robbie, you are about a million times better than him. She'll see that eventually."

"Are you ever going to explain what happened between you two?" Robbie asked tentatively, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

She took a sip of her water, before she began to speak, "It was a blistering hot summer day in the 1950s when everything changed, my mother had told me-"

"Without the sarcasm." He added.

She rolled her eyes, "There is no story to tell."

"Then why are you so closed up about it?" Robbie asked, "What are you trying to hide?"

"I just don't like expressing my feelings okay." She replied, her voice tight and tense, "and I hate people feeling sorry for me."

"Fine don't tell me!" he snapped, "But talking about might help you get over it."

She noticed the attention they were drawing, customers had stopped picking at their food or conversing with each other, instead their eyes were trained on the bickering pair in the corner booth.

"Fine." She said through gritted teeth, "If you stop drawing attention to us I'll tell you. But you have to swear you won't give me any sympathy, and no looks of pity like I am an abandon puppy at a shelter."

He extended his hand, "Done"

She accepted his handshake, and Robbie could feel how much her hand was quivering. She rocked back and forth on her seat ever so slightly, taking a sip of water before she began her tale. A story that he could predict would not include a happy ending.

"Right okay." She said quickly and she crossed her arms, "I suppose the quicker I tell you this the faster we can get past it."

He nodded, "You can take your time, I have all night."

She pulled a face at him, "No thanks Shapiro."

"Stop stalling."

"Stop interrupting."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Just get on with it!" Robbie demanded.

"Right!" she said, her cheeks flaring red, "So when I was a freshman, I was actually rather popular, I was quite feminine, "She scrunched her nose in disgust, "School was like a runway show to me, people had to notice me."

"So what-"

She cast him a dark look and Robbie immediately closed his mouth. She lifted her cigarette case and began to tap it against the table, causing Robbie to wonder if her smoking was a nervous habit.

"Then I met _him_. At the time I thought the world revolved around him, and I was the most envied freshman, you know because he was an older guy. He was the first person to ever make me feel special, like I was the only one he would ever want to be with… you know Rob, all of that clichéd bullshit."

He could see where this was heading, and he wanted to comfort her, even though he had only known this girl a short time, he could see that he was pushing her to the limit with this confession.

"Look Tess." He said, suddenly feeling immensely guilty, "You don't have to-"

"I told you not to feel sorry for me." She mutter, her voice becoming tenser.

Taking a deep breath, she began to conclude her story, "So we had been seeing each other a month, when he started to get physical with me. He told me that if I really loved him I would want to make him happy, and I was so petrified of losing him that I blindly did anything that he wanted, even though I didn't want to. So, he asked for intimate photos, then he asked for more, then boom, bye-bye virginity see you later, you had a good run."

She tried to make light of the situation, but she couldn't look him in the eyes, she was tapping her cigarettes against the table feverishly now, she pace began to increase as she continued to speak.

"Then after he got what he wanted. He just began to ignore me, wouldn't answer my calls, and wouldn't answer the door when I called around his house. I was confused; I thought he loved me, so I was convinced it was my fault. It wasn't until a week later when I entered school I knew something was wrong. My friends wouldn't speak to me, everyone was too concerned with their phones, laughing, pointing at me and whispering cruel slurs at me. Until finally it was too much and I snatched one of their phones off them to see what it was."

Robbie shook his head in disbelief, "You cannot be serious? Tess!" he lowered his voice, "That's child pornography! Why didn't you just report him?!"

"What was the point." She muttered her voice monotonous, "It was my fault for being so careless and fucking stupid, I could have been prosecuted too because I was the one who took the photo… So I deserved it."

"How can you believe that?" Robbie asked, disgusted at the male, "He is—I don't have any words…. How can you stand even being in the same building as him."

"Oh well we originally didn't go to Hollywood Arts." Tess explained, "I moved after the scandal, you know, because I wanted to escape."

"He followed you?!" Robbie said, completely appalled.

"No he had no idea I went there." She explained, laughing at the irony, "I'm just lucky like that. When I moved I changed my first name and my appearance, so I don't even think he knows who I am. You know more than anyone what it feels like to be so disgusted in yourself that you cannot bear it."

"So what's your real name?" Robbie asked.

She smirked, "That's one secret I'll never tell."

He regretted egging on her on to tell him this, it was far worse than what he had expected to hear. She had been abused, taunted and jeered by her peers that she was forced from her school. Tess excused herself mumbling something about needing another cigarette to take the edge off. Robbie wanted to comfort her, but he knew that she would only make a scene about how she didn't need protection and he never thought he would feel this exact emotion for Tess, the girl who was so brash and seemingly independent.

He was upset that she had been through such pain.

She was back in matter of minutes, the tips of her nose and fingers bright red from the cold evening. She smiled awkwardly at Robbie as she began to eat again. He wondered what she looked like before she came to Hollywood Arts, was he hair originally blonde, or did she dye it like Cat?

In many ways she reminded him of Jade West; only Jade West was perceived as a dark girl, when really she only put it on for show. Tess had more than enough reasons to behave so closed off, she had opened up to Robbie in a way that he suspected she hadn't to anyone else.

So it was only fair that he did the same.

"I used to hurt myself." He admitted to a shocked Tess, who had stopped eating mid-chew.

"What?"

"You know when I left and came back." Robbie said, "Yeah I told everyone I went to a fitness boot camp, well that's true… I just left out the psychotherapy part of it."

"Psychotherapy."

He nodded, "Yeah, fun fact about me, I was diagnosed with anorexia and depression."

"Wait, wait wait." She interrupted, "You where anorexic?"

"Yeah I was surprised when they said that too… I had," he corrected himself, "have a really terrible distorted view of my body. I was so stressed about not looking good that I didn't really pay attention to my eating habits, then as I got worse I became more depressed I became..." He tailed off, "Yeah I'm pretty fucked up."

She smiled, that rare smile that meant Robbie was slowly breaking her walls down, "But you're better now right?"

"I suppose…" he smirked, suddenly remembering what his sister had said to him only a week ago, "But some problems can't be solved in a month and a half."

"Why did you stop the treatment then?"

"Not enough money." He said, "Limited funds in the Shapiro household, because as you know Hollywood Arts is quite expensive to attend."

She bobbed he head, as she bit her lip and averted her eyes. Then she smirked, but for once it was not directed at him, it was at the couple who had just walked through the door.

"My favourite couple, prom king and queen material right there." she mumbled mockingly.

Robbie attempted to observe the pair covertly, so he glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. They were seated at the table directly across from them; Liam hand was protectively on top of hers as they glanced at their menus. Cat caught him in the act, glancing over she glowered at the pair, her eyes flicking back and forth, from Tess to Robbie.

Suddenly Robbie felt a warm and petite hand clasp his hand that was resting on the table. The contact caught him by surprise; jumping back in surprise he turned his attention back to Tess.

"Eh.. what are you doing?" he asked uncertainly, somewhat uncomfortable by the sudden contact.

She laughed, confusing him further, "You are so funny!"

"Are you really that stupid?"

Her question didn't match her sweet and gentle voice; he arched a brow as he leaned towards her, "Explain please."

"Well." Her voice had returned to the normal Tess, surly and sour, "You said you didn't want to date a girl with false intentions, so the solution is to pretend to date me. You already set the groundwork by getting caught with me on the roof, so it's already believable."

He stole a glance at Cat, who was watching the pair, a frown upon her pretty face as she ignored Liam, who was trying to get her attention. He smiled at her, before he turned back to Tess and gave her a small nod.

"Okay." He agreed, "Let's do it."

* * *

**Hey!**

**Right okay we got all of the heavy heavy material out of the way, because yes this story is going to try to stick to Robbie's POV as much as possible, because I believe that he never gets enough credit, on the show or in the stories. Yeah and Robbie was anorexic, mainly because it seems to me anyway that people always assume that it is quite a feminine disease, when it's really not. So yeah this story is really going to focus on body image and the perception of beauty if you didn't already grasp that!**

**And yeah Tess... I felt like she needed a good back story, because no one is that angry for no reason… and she had a very good reason.**

**And yes, you are all eh TEBBIE what… actually I'm curious to know who is pro tebbie and absolutely in no way want that to happen.**

**I obviously know what is going to happen, but I am just curious to see what you all think.**

**Love**

**Sweeney7760**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"We hardly ever see you anymore!"

Slamming his locker door, he turned around to see a perky brunette leaning casually on the locker to the left of his. Well at least he understood why she wasn't leaning to the right… lean on Jade's locker, and it probably would be the last move you ever make.

It was true, he hadn't seen Tori, Jade, André or Beck in what seemed like a lifetime and it wasn't because he didn't want to. No, it was because all of them were a package deal, you want to see them, you had to see Cat Valentine.

See Cat Valentine: you have to spend time with Liam Stanson.

Robbie had made a promise to himself after Tess had revealed to him her very valid reason for despising Liam. He told himself that he would never find himself in his presence again, because he didn't think he would be able to control his temper around him. To know that he had hurt Tess, someone he now cared about, and that he was about to repeat it with his Cat… it just made shake with rage.

It happened to Tess two years ago, and she was still broken over it, no matter how many she tried to claim that she was fine, that she hadn't even thought about it in years…

He knew it broke her heart every time she saw him.

Cat had enough going on in her life; Robbie really was the only one who knew to what extent. He often wondered how she was getting on without his tutoring, how her monthly appointments with her psychiatrist where going.

He was becoming increasingly worried about her. He lay awake at night, unable to let sleep claim his body, because his mind was too alert, constantly coming up with terrible situations that the little redhead could find herself in if her relationship with that disgusting tyrant continued.

Tess may have been foolish when she was younger. But clearly she had learnt from this mistake, so much so that she hadn't let another boy touch her since the incident. She was a strong person, but even she distanced herself any form of relationships, friendships or otherwise. She did not allow herself to get close to anyone.

But Cat, she was completely different to Tess in every way, shape and form. For one thing she was almost 18 now, and she still had the mental capacity of a child. She just exuded this lack of knowledge about the world that made her the perfect target for people like Liam, and from the conversation Robbie had accidently heard a week ago; he couldn't help but wonder how many girls he had coaxed into revealing themselves to him.

These could have been girls who weren't at all like Cat… meaning that they weren't as trusting, or as innocent. They just found themselves trapped like Tess, desperately clinging on to a relationship that was crumbling before their eyes. It just meant that Robbie could be certain that Cat would more than likely fall into this trap.

Meaning she would end up in the exact same situation as Tess. She would be cast out of this school, her potential career as an actress or singer would be forever tainted by an exposing photograph. Her future would be completely ruined by a silly mistake she made when she was seventeen.

And he just couldn't let that happen, because it was just so tragic, it would crush her with such force and dexterity. That Robbie didn't think she would be able to survive it.

It would destroy her.

But he couldn't just come out and tell her and he had made a promise to Tess that he wouldn't report Liam to police. He had wanted to go the police station with her as soon as exited Nozu's, but she had literally tackled him to the ground and ordered him to keep it between them. He tried to argue that it might give her some closure, but she had a good defence.

"High school is a torture chamber Robbie." She had stated coldly, "And I can't have anyone else find out about my past, they will find the photo… I'll have to see it again and I just can't go through it again. I won't."

He had to respect he wishes, because she had a lifetime of people not respecting hers. He wanted more than anything to help her, to repay her for what she was doing for him. She didn't realise just how much Robbie had needed someone like her in his life a month and a half ago when he felt like the world was going to implode and suffocate him. She would never know just how much Robbie appreciated her telling him the truth, because it allowed him to open up to someone who wasn't an immediate family member.

But right now he had to deal with the irritably perfect brunette beside him, who was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for his reply.

"Are you going to eat lunch with Cat today?" he asked her as he picked up his schoolbag.

"Well yes." She said bashfully, "But I know she wants you back Robbie, I know she misses you as a friend, if only you would just apologise."

"There is no way I am apologising." He said, his voice unintentionally harsh. Spotting her offended expression, he ran his hand through his hair as he sighed in annoyance, "Okay I will apologise to you for speaking so bitterly just now. But I refuse to apologise to Cat."

"But then we can all be friends again." Tori mumbled, "Everything goes back to how it was before."

"I don't want to it be like it was before." Robbie muttered, "I'm sorry Tori, but until Cat finally wakes up and realises what a mistake she is making… I can't be around you if you are with her."

Then he turned his back on the Latina and strode off. He didn't even have an urge to glance back at her hurt expression, because he knew this was for the best. He couldn't let Cat think that he was letting her win, because then there was no way she would ever break up with Liam. Dodging out into the Asphalt Café, he jumped over the barrier and made his way up the staircase.

Just like every study period, Tess was on the roof space, adding pieces to her mosaic. She had her headphones stuck into her ear, so it wasn't until Robbie was practically towering over her did she realise that she was no longer alone. She greeted him with a slight wave as she continued to paint, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Robbie sat in the only corner that was void of all paintwork by his friend and stuck on a pair of sunglasses. He enjoyed his time with Tess, even if it mostly was in silence; this roof space was now an escape for both of them, a section of the school that no other student dared to enter. He lay back, his head resting on his bag as he let his eyes flutter shut, maybe he could get some shut eye before his next class.

"You know they are announcing who got the parts today?"

That got his attention.

"What?" he demanded as he sprung into a sitting position, "When, what time, who told you this?"

"I heard Sikowitz telling Lane about it when I walked past them earlier this morning." She replied casually, "So, what's plan B if you don't get the part?"

Robbie shrugged, "I don't have a plan B."

"Very confident aren't you."

"You're coming with me aren't you, to see if you got a part in it too, right?" he asked.

"I only auditioned because Lane told me that I had to partake in more of the school extracurricular activities." She admitted, "So I'm not really bothered if I don't get the part."

"I have to ask, because it's been annoying me for ages." He said, "Why are you even at this school if you don't want to be an actress?"

"Got a scholarship." She mumbled, "Wasn't going to turn that down, not when I needed to get out of that school, and I can draw, act and I sing a little. But I just don't like broadcasting it to everyone; people in this school are so hyper-competitive."

"Well I hope you get the part and not Tori." He said in an attempt to encourage her, "Don't get me wrong, I really like Tori." He said when she eyed him suspiciously, "But why does she always have to get a major role in every play? It's just fair for people like you who are talented and never get a chance to show it."

He thought he saw her smile before she turned around and grabbed another pot of paint; she threw a paintbrush in his direction, whacking him in the stomach. He picked it up and his fingers around it.

"Are you just going to stare at it?" she asked, "Or are you going to help me paint."

""""""""""""""""""""

It took so much coaxing and tugging of her sleeve.

But after his period of study break, which included next to no studying… he managed to get Tess off the roof space. Just in time too, because the lunch bell had just sounded, meaning that they would be greeted with students any second. Tess pulled his hand off the sleeve of her shirt and scowled.

"I don't eat down here Robbie." She said scornfully, "I don't like to integrate with the students here."

"Well today you do." He said humbly, "You agreed to fake date me, so they have to see us together or else this isn't going to work."

She huffed as she pulled out her ponytail, letting her soft beach-wave hair to lightly kiss her shoulder blades, "I didn't even get my midday smoke."

"Maybe that's not a bad thing." Robbie said under his breath.

The students began to join them, some of them waved at Robbie, while the other glanced at Tess questionably, wondering why someone like Robbie would even want to associate with the odd loner girl.

"Leaving."

She turned around, but Robbie grabbed her hand and pulled her back, "Staying!"

She groaned, "You better be buying me lunch."

"I didn't realising I was paying to date you." He muttered as they made their way over to Fetus' truck.

"Oh yeah it's part of the service." She murmured, "A free lunch every time you force me to communicate with people in this school."

He laughed as they reached the truck, letting go of her hand as soon as they reached their destination. It was the perfect amount of time for people to notice that perceived small gesture of affection. Tess ordered feast compared to Robbie's meek little salad, she turned her nose at it as they walk over towards an empty table and sat down.

"Why don't you ever eat anything besides rabbit food?" she asked before taking a large bit of her chicken wrap.

"It's a set meal." He told her, "They give you a diet plan when you leave."

She dropped the matter as soon as he mentioned his past treatment, an unspoken pact between them to not press each other on topics that referred to their pasts. Focusing on devouring her wrap with such speed that Robbie could only assume she had a mouth like a python, her jaw and ribs hinged with tissue that stretches readily, allowing her to swallow her meal in three bites. Robbie smiled as he watched her eat with no regard to her eating habits, so unlike other girls who wiped their faces' with napkins after every miniscule nibble.

"Your girl has entered the arena." She muttered, "Don't look though that would be too obvious."

"Okay." He said, unsure whether he could resist turning his head to see who she was with, "Well then tell me what's happening."

"She just sat down beside a very sardonic faced girl and a guy with very nice hair."

"Beck and Jade." He filled her in on their names, "Okay so what's happening now."

She laughed warmly and threw a piece of chicken (that apparently had survived her attack) at him playfully. Robbie wished she would give him some warning when she was going to transform into this giggling, flirty Tess… because it really creeped him out.

"I take it she is staring." He concluded as she plastered a huge smile on to her face.

She placed her hand onto her cheek and leaned on it, still smiling sweetly at him, "Oh big time."

"Will you stop that." He hissed, trying to keep his voice low, "You look like a scary doll or something. I think I prefer it when you frown."

"That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!" she gushed, her voice so laced light-hearted and pleasant that he wasn't sure if she was being sincere or not.

"Sarcasm?" he asked uncertainly.

"Nope." She replied, "How much longer do I have to do this?"

"I don't know! I am new to this whole, make a girl jealous thing." He admitted sheepishly, "So I don't really know how to act."

"Just act you way you do when you go on dates." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the whole world, "Method acting Rob."

His cheeks flushed pink as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Tess' eyes bugged as she set down he drink.

"You have been on a date before?" she asked, suddenly unsure.

"Define a date."

"Oh Robbie." Tess looked at him with pity, "Seriously? You wasted your whole time on Cat when you could have been out living!"

"That's not true." Robbie said sadly, "Girls didn't notice me before, they all looked at me like I had a really disfigured face. They only look at me now like I'm datable."

"I don't believe that." Tess argued, "Maybe you were just looking at the wrong girl. There is someone for everyone."

"You know when you talk like that you sound like a wrinkly 700 year old sage right?"

She smiled, truly laughing for the first time, "Don't get testy because you know I'm right."

"You aren't right." He debated.

She grinned as she shook her head, "I'm always right."

"No you aren't"

"Eurgh." She moaned, "I hate it when you do that."

"What?"

"Speak."

"Very funny." He stated sourly, "You are hilarious."

She grinned as she swung off her seat, "Cat's stomped off in a huff, shouting something about people being so mean to her."

"So wait?" Robbie said as he rose, "Where are you going?"

"My job's done Shapiro." She said with a shrug, as she shot him a military salute with her forefinger and middle finger, "See you."

Then she was gone, melting into the background as she slipped away into the school building. Robbie was tempted to follow her, he almost did. That was until his table was bombarded by his old friends. André was the first to sit down, he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Robbie as he jabbed his thumb back in the general direction Tess had exited from.

"Who's the girl?" he interrogated, as he was joined by Beck and Jade on either side of him.

"That's Tess." Robbie said nonchalantly with a small wave of dismissal, "She's a friend…"

Beck cocked an eyebrow, "Really." He said, his tone inquisitorial, "because a little birdy told me that you two where eating dinner together at Nozu's yesterday."

Robbie scoffed, "Are you sure it was a bird that told you, or may it have been a cat?"

"Maybe." Andre smiled as he slapped Robbie on the shoulder, "Good job man, you got yourself a girl!"

Robbie nodded, feeling suddenly strange about his arrangement with Tess. I mean sure, they knew it wasn't real, but it was weird that he was about to say the words out loud.

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend." Robbie said, "But don't make a big deal about it." He added hastily when he noticed their gleeful faces, "We are taking things slow."

"Okay man." André responded respectfully, "Your secret is safe with us."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""

But apparently, "us" only referred to André and Beck, because Jade West certainly had other plans with this new found information. As Robbie wandered through the halls of Hollywood Arts that day, he saw Tess storming over to him, her habitual frown forever marking her mood as a surly. Robbie waved as she approached him, expecting a hello at least.

He had not accepted the sudden scrape of her sharp nails against his skin as she grabbed his wrist. Robbie was forever being surprised by this girl. She was stronger than she appeared as she dragged him into the janitor's closest.

"What is the matter with you!" she hissed, "You told people I am your girlfriend!"

He stared at her, flabbergasted, his mouth slightly ajar as he searched for something to say.

"How did you find out so quickly?" he asked, "People don't speak to you!"

She scowled, "I am aware that people don't speak to me, I preferred it that way. Now I have all of these hormonal girl's wanting to know all about you and asking me all kind of disgusting questions that I will not repeat."

"Right." Robbie said, unsure of what to make of that statement, "But how did you find out?"

"The slap!" she said as she thrust her phone to his eye-line, "Some skank named Jade West just posted a photo of us at lunch."

"It's not that bad." Robbie tried to calm her.

Her frown deepened, "I don't do photos Robbie."

He shook his head, suddenly feeling like an idiot, "Right of course."

She crossed her arms, "Well it doesn't matter now, I just didn't think we were going to define the fake relationship."

"Well they asked!" Robbie said defensively, "What else was I going to say?"

"That we are casual!" she bit back, "I don't do relationships!"

"Well it's a good thing it's not real then!" he reminded her.

"I know that!" she shouted.

"Then why are we fighting?"

"Because this is how we communicate!"

Then the door swung open, and Tess acted quicker than Robbie could have ever anticipated. She jumped him, pushing him to the back of wall, burying her fingers into his hair, her lips hovering just above the skin on his neck.

Of course it was Cat, giggling as she pulled Liam in to this renowned make out area in the school. Robbie almost felt sorry for the janitor, how many teenagers did he have to beat out of this room with his brush, where they all really that driven by hormones?

Cat gasped when she spotted the pair, her laugh dying instantly. Tess remained locked on Robbie, as stiff and cold as a statue carved from block of ice. Robbie understood why completely; she didn't like being in such a suffocating area, especially not with their unexpected company. He had to control himself, the sight of Liam's lazy grin made his fingers curl into a fist instinctively.

"Sorry." Robbie muttered to the couple, "She's embarrassed we got caught… do you mind?"

Cat nodded mutely as she swung open the door and rushed out, leaving Liam with no option but to follow suit. As soon as the door swung shut again Tess jumped back as if Robbie was suddenly as hot as a furnace.

She pointed at him accusingly, "You never speak of this."

"Okay."

But he wouldn't forget it, not easily at least. He wasn't imaging it, he had felt her shivering as she pushed herself him away from her.

It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen her, and it sickened him even more to think about how that could one day become Cat.

A group of students had started to linger around the janitor's closet, but they had no choice. They had to exit it, because staying there for much longer would look very bad indeed. They both emerged, neither of them able to look at each other as they walked towards their lockers.

"Shouldn't have agreed to do this." He heard her mumbled under her breath, " I should not have agreed."

Without overthinking it, he took her hand.

There wasn't anything remotely romantic about it. He could have been lying on his bed, holding Maddie's hand as they listened to their parent's argue, their voices so loud that they managed to travel through the thin floorboards, it was that platonic. He gave her hand a squeeze and she desisted muttering to herself. It was comforting; he was trying to express in this gesture what he couldn't in words; that he would be for her, no matter how much she tried to resist it, even if she was rude to him, even if she tried to push him away.

He was going to get her to stop repressing her feelings towards Liam, towards the horrible ordeal he put her through.

He was going to help her grieve.

* * *

**I think I may have to add OC to the list of people in this, because Tess is slowly becoming a permanent (and my favourite character I have ever written) addition to this story.**

**Oh of course it was only going to be platonic! Reviewers who may have doubted my intentions, I like there back and forth arguments to jeopardise that! Although I see why they could have worked well as couple… it ain't going to happen! Those who have already reviewed are correct, they work better as friends, and Tess is just too messed up to be a relationship with anyone.**

**Major trust issues with that one!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, I am building to Cabbie so I beg you to please stick with it!**

**Sweeney7760**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"No Jamie please! Let's just talk about this!" she begged hysterically as she rushed across the stage and grabbed his arms, "I don't want it to end like this!"

"There is nothing to discuss Cynthia!" he spat, as he pushed her away, "I just- there is something not right anymore, you're not the same girl- there is something different about us..."

"Jamie!" she screeched, he eyes glistening as he turned, "Don't go!"

"Cue fading lights!"

Tess was on her feet in a nanosecond, appearing uninterested and surly once again as she flicked through the script in her hand as she tapped her foot impatiently. It was quite a transformation. I mean to go from a heartbroken and sobbing woman who had just lost the love of her life back to normal Tess… well it was just stellar acting.

"Robbie, Tess!" Sikowitz grabbed both of the teens and pulled them into a hug, which was highly unorthodox, but common practice for their eccentric teacher, "That was brilliant! You little lovebirds, I must say I was sceptical when Lane said that you two would be perfect for these roles… I now owe him twenty dollars..."

"Emm, Thanks?" Robbie replied as Tess slipped out of Sikwitz's grasp, scowling at their loopy teacher.

They had received the news of their successful auditions just this afternoon. After the ordeal in the janitor's closet (which was now common knowledge to the whole school), they had witness Lane tacking the list on to the board. Of course Cat was the first one to push her way through the crowd; she was so small and slight that she managed to squeeze her way to the front. He heard her cheer as she bounced out of the crowd and straight into Liam's waiting embrace.

"I got the part!" she squealed in delight.

"But kitty, you already knew that." Liam said with a short laugh as he ruffled her hair, "What about me?"

"Oh." She said, as he set her down, she bit her lip, "You em, you got _a_ part!"

"But.."

"Well, it's not the main role." She said as she twisted her red hair around her finger, which Robbie always associated with her being anxious.

"Well then who got it?!" he demanded, his eyes scanning the crowd of students.

Robbie dragged Tess with her, overpowering her as she tried to dig her feet into the ground. He forced his way through the crowd. He saw Tori, her face downcast as she turned away and stomped off. They made it to the front, his eyes quickly scanning the cast list, his stomach curdling with nervous anticipation.

"Yes!" he cheered, as he turned round to Tess who had cried, "no!" almost simultaneously.

"We did it!" he praised, making sure to say it loud enough so the sour-faced male with his arm wrapped around the redhead could hear.

"Yeah!" she said her voice monotonous, "Dream come true."

"Oh lighten up!" Robbie said as they walked off exiting the school, "It's not that bad, our plan is working out perfectly!"

"Yeah but I didn't actually want the part!" she complained, "This is going to be a train wreck!"

"Why?" Robbie wondered, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

"Now I have to be with people all the time!" she complained, "I'm going to have be this bubbly, bouncing buffoon like… well like that!"

She jabbed a finger at Cat who was jumping up and down behind them as she did a sort of celebratory jig with a sullen Tori Vega.

"Valid point." He agreed as she nodded, crinkling her nose in disgust.

Then she cast him that sarcastic salute she had given him earlier at lunch as she turned on her heel and stalked off, her black satchel banging off her hip as she walked away in a temper.

""""""""""""""""""

Which brought them up to this exact moment; Tess was pretending to listen to Sikowitz's directions, nodding and saying every so often, "Oh yes." To anyone else it would have sounded sincere, but Robbie could hear the underlying sarcasm in her words.

But that was Tess, she was hardly ever sincere.

She was in an even worse mood than usual, and Robbie guessed that it was for two reasons. Firstly, she had demanded to Lane that she be removed from the play immediately, but he had point blank refused, informing her that if she dropped out of the play she would not meet the requirements to make it into next year, and she would have to repeat… Then there was the fact that now Tess had to spend all of her study breaks indoors, away from her sanctuary, where she would have to pretend more now than ever, that she was the flirty, giggly besotted girlfriend of Robbie.

Which didn't please her at all.

Robbie reminded her frequently that it had been her idea in the first place, so really it was her own fault that she found herself in this situation. He expected the scowl that he received as she stomped away to the girl's bathroom as she claimed that it was the only place she didn't have to be perky in in this school.

As he skimmed over his lines from the beginning, when his character Jamie proposes to Cynthia, he scanned through as he took a sip of his water, enjoying how the plot was developing until he got to the bottom of the page.

He almost spit his water out as he rose to feet and grabbed Tess away from Sikowitz. He ignored the student's as they jeered, shouting slurs about how they probably off to the janitor's closest for another quick session.

By the time they were outdoors in the asphalt Café, Robbie thought he was going to have a panic attack. He began to pace back and forth, while Tess sighed in relief and sank against the wall.

"Thank god I am out of there." She muttered as she got her cigarettes out, "Another minute and I would have clawed his eyes out."

Robbie plucked the unlit cigarette from Tess' lips and chucked it away, "This is no time for smoking!"

"Whoa!" she said as she went and picked it up, "You know I have to pay my creepy next door neighbour to buy me these!"

"Have you read the script?!" he asked anxiously as he began to pace again.

"No." she said, her voice muffled by the replacement cigarette between her lips, "Why would I bother, I hate the play."

"Well then you haven't read what is at the bottom of page four!" Robbie said as he thrust the script in her face, almost singeing it on her cigarette.

Her eyes widened as she spotted the stage direction, she snatched it from his hand and stared at it, "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"I know!" Robbie said exasperatedly, "What are we going to do?!"

"There is no way that is happening." She said before taking a nervous puff of her cigarette, "My lips are not going to touch yours, It's just not happening. I did not sign up for kissing. I don't kiss."

"It would be like kissing my sister." He agreed, "It would feel so wrong."

"So we aren't doing it." She concluded, "Simple as that."

"But how can we not?!" Robbie questioned, "We are supposed to be dating, do you not think it will look a bit suspicious if we don't want to kiss?"

"Shit." She mumbled under her breath, "You're right."

This was not how he imagined it. How his first ever lip to lip contact was going to happen; with a girl who he was pretending to date to make the girl he actually wants jealous in the hope that she will break up with her boyfriend so she won't be added to his list of girls that he has exposed and dumped… No, He kind of always assumed it was going to mean something, but bumping lips with Tess for the sake of a stupid play? What the hell was the point of that, it wasn't going to be anything special, it would certainly be a moment that he wouldn't want to remember either.

She was aware of this; she had this way of reading him, her eyes narrowed animalistically as if she was hunting prey.

"Robbie…" she said accusingly.

"Yes?"

"I know you haven't been on a date, but you have kissed a girl right?" she said uncertainly, "Like at a party or as a dare right?"

He shook his head, his cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment, "Please Tess, for once don't turn this into a joke."

"I get it." She didn't laugh, she didn't even smile. It was one of those rare occasions where she was being sincere, "You get one chances at firsts… I've only ever kissed one boy and look at who I wasted it on. Now when I look back on every kiss he gave me, every single one feels like a mistake, a lie."

It was the little things that reinforced why he hadn't walked away from Tess, even when she irritated him and challenged him, she always managed to remind him of this deep understanding she had about life and more importantly pain. She understood him at a level that he doubted he would ever find again.

"So what's the plan?" he asked, "because we have to go back in there."

"Don't sweat it Shapiro." She replied as chucked the end of cigarette away, "I'll think of something."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

So there they stood, in front of each other, Robbie acutely aware that Cat Valentine was on the side-lines watching as he got down on one knee in front of Tess. He was shaking, they were nearing the kiss scene, and Tess had made no attempt to avoid it, instead she was reciting her lines, gasping as he got down onto bended knee and took her hand.

"Will you-"

"Yes!" she cried, her voice cracking, her eyes watering.

Robbie smiled and got to his feet, pulling her into an embrace. She felt stiff next to Robbie, and made no move to stop the kiss, in fact she gave him the smallest bob of her head. So he began to lean, completely petrified of what was about to happen. He was so close now, that he was literally ready to kiss that part of his innocence goodbye.

Then he felt two fingers on his pursed lips, Tess blushes as she turned her head away, "Jamie no! I want to save this moment."

"What?"

His eyes snapped opened as Tess gentled placed a hand on his cheek, "The next time we kiss, it will be at the alter; when I officially become your wife."

So instead Robbie give the palm of her hand and give it the lightest peck, "If that is what you desire, then it will be so."

They could see the students flicking through the script, trying to find the directions and lines they had just improvised. Robbie smiled gratefully at Tess as she stepped away from him and grabbed her bag.

"We done Sikowitz?" she demanded, "because I have I really need to be somewhere."

"You changed my script?" he mused as he tapped his forefinger against his lips.

She shrugged casually, "I felt like it was missing something, my way depicts a distance between the couple for the off set, the awkwardness, the issues with intimacy. Their relationship was never going to have a happy ending."

Sikowitz nodded, his lips pursed in approval, "I like it."

"Fantastic." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she glared at the students who were staring at her in awe, "Right, so if everyone could stop staring at me like I have two heads!"

They all looked away, busying themselves with the lighting, or the back-group as Tess ran a hand through her hair. Robbie approached her, taking her off to the side so they could have a private conversation.

"You really scared me you know!" he hissed, "I thought you were actually going to do it."

She smiled warmly at him, putting on that pseudonym that he was growing to detest, "Why would you ever doubt me silly!"

She gave him a quickest hug, her face averted from the students so it seemed like she kissed his cheek, "See you later baby!"

"But I haven't said you can leave yet!" Sikowitz called.

Robbie almost laughed as he gave her a bashful smile and a small wave as Tess blatantly ignored Sikowitz calls.

"And she is gone."

As Robbie return to back to the stage, he saw that Cat was now standing centre stage, biting her lip as she read her script. It was time for his first scene with Cat, where he sees her in the bar for the first time. His clenched his hand to hide his visible shake as he approached her. They didn't speak as they passed each other, Robbie heading for the bar stool while Cat went over to the small platform with the vintage microphone.

They had no lines in this scene thankfully; Robbie just received his glass of beer, which was actually rancid cold coffee that he was forcing himself to swallow. Then the band started to play; it was classical jazz, smooth and soulful. Robbie continued to swallow the drink, his hand shaking as he demanded another one from the barkeep.

Then Cat walked on to the stage, beginning her first riff.

She always had this effect on Robbie when she sang, it was as if someone had poured ice water down his back, it gave him chills of anticipation. He swivelled in his barstool, completely mesmerised by just how sophisticated Cat seemed right now. With her lips painted a devilish red and her hair tied up in an elegant twist bun with wispy curls framing her face. The black dress that clung to her petite frame created curves that Robbie didn't even realised she possessed.

He could only watch, his mouth falling open slightly as she continued to sing, the spotlight directly on her. She was born to play this role, no other girl in Robbie's (somewhat biased) opinion could have expressed such soul and pain that Cat could through her melodious voice. Robbie rose to his feet, the song enticing him in until he was at the table beside the stage, and Cat was suddenly by his side, curling her fingers under his chin, singing directly at him.

Then she was again, she approached one of the other student's, depicting her role as a vixen perfectly as she plucked his hat from his head and flipped it on to her own. Then she was back to Robbie, placing herself on his lap, she crossed her legs and hummed the final note of her song, staring deep into his eyes.

Then it was over, there was a blackout, followed by a complete ruckus of applause as Robbie lifted Cat to her feet. He clapped with them as she blushed the same shade as her lipstick and took a tiny bow.

"Fantastic!" Sikowitz boomed, "The passion, the heat. The chemistry between my two stars!"

Cat and Robbie took a step away from each other, obviously embarrassed by the comments. Robbie muttered something about needing a drink and rushed off while Sikowitz dismissed the remaining actors for the day.

As he slung his bag onto his back he felt a light rap on his shoulder. Turning around, he was surprised to see little Cat Valentine standing before him.

He raised an eyebrow dubiously as she twisted wobbled on her foot awkwardly and continued to curl her loose hair around her fingers. She didn't smile, instead biting her lip as she stared up at him with those brown eyes that Robbie couldn't stare at for too long. They had a strange effect on him, they always had. It was like they were hypnotic, if he concentrated on them for too long, he would be powerless before her.

"Hi."

The first word she had uttered to him since the catastrophic alphabet improv game. He didn't know what to say, before conversations between them had been as simple as taking a breath, everything always fell into place. But now they were different. That much was clear to him, and he could tell by her silence:

That it was obvious to her too.

"Hello" he said, trying to keep his voice impartial, "How are you-"

"Do you wanna walk with me?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, taken aback by her sudden need to be seen with him after a week of avoiding each other at all costs. That and he couldn't help but notice that for once she wasn't clinging on to Liam.

"Sure your boyfriend won't mind?" He said suspiciously, "Cat it may have escaped your notice but we don't exactly see eye-to-eye."

"He's got football practice now." She explained, "and I don't like walking home on my own."

He had never been great at saying no to her, even now when he wanted nothing more than to shake her so vigorously in an attempt to wake her up. He nodded and together they exited Hollywood Arts, it was tense, but apparently not tense enough for Cat to think it acceptable to loop her arm around his as they walked in chorus down the small sidewalk. Robbie arched an eyebrow, but did not comment on the sudden and strange contact. His pulse accelerated, like it always used to when Cat grabbed his hand, or pulled him into a hug.

But he had to remind himself that he had changed now, and he couldn't let him slip back to that old Robbie. That Robbie seemed to possess him, make him think the darkest of thoughts, brought him to the pits of desperation.

"So the girl you're always with. Who is she?"

Robbie knew her too well; he could tell that she was trying to just slip it into the conversation, which probably would have worked… That is, if they were having a conversation to begin with.

"That's Tess." He said dryly, "She's my girlfriend."

The still found this whole situation weird, hating that he had to refer to Tess as his girlfriend, when really she was the exact opposite of a girlfriend, more like a rude cousin or a bickering sister. But still, he had to make it sound convincing. It was for Cat's sake after all, jealously appeared to be the only form way to get her to speak to him, and this way, with Cat approaching him… it meant that Liam really had no grounds to pick a fight with him should he ever find out about it.

"Oh." She said, he brown eyes popping with realisation. Robbie could tell from her facial expression that her little head was working overtime to comprehend what to say next, because she had never imagined Robbie would ever be with a girl.

Assuming she would be the only girl in his life.

"So you like her?" she asked, "You kiss her so I assume you like her."

"Yes I like her." Robbie said, not a lie, but still strange under this context, "She's different."

"Well you're different too." She muttered under her breath, but that did not mean that it went unnoticed.

"Why are you talking to me?" Robbie asked, careful once again to not spook her, he tried to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"I-" she paused, staring straight up at him with those soulful eyes, "I just missed you."

He laughed, unable to control the burst of cruel laughter that bubble up his throat, "Really?" he said, "You missed me?"

"I do!" She said, shock at him as she tore her arm away from him, "Even though you left without a proper explanation, even though you don't like my boyfriend, even though you got caught with that girl on the roof, even though you have replaced me!"

"Replaced?" Robbie said, "I never replaced you Cat, you walked away from me remember, you told me that I wasn't your best friend anymore! Which frankly I was glad about because I—"

"Because what?!" she screamed, her cheek pink and her eyes watering, "You don't like me?!"

"Do you hear yourself? How can you even think that, I have always been there for you and the one time I needed you most, I needed you to say the right thing you let me down, and still I don't hate you! I just can't hate you, it's the exact opposite!" He shouted back at her, his hands gripping on to his hair, "It's because—"

He stopped abruptly, once again, unable to say it to her, because he didn't want it to be like this. He didn't want to confess to her that he has been in love with her for the past three years, waiting for her to feel something back.

Not like this, not when he was this angry.

His cry was strangled his in his throat as he placed his hands on the back of his head and took a deep breath, "You know that letter I sent you?"

She sniffed loudly as she patted her eyes with the end of her jumper sleeve, "Yes."

"Read it again." He told her, "Think about how we used to be. Really think about it Cat, and when you have your answer. Well, you know where to find me."

Then he turned around and walked away. As he walked he heard her call out to him, and it made his heart ache with every beat;

"I read your letter everyday… and as each day passes it makes me miss you even more."

He stopped.

She rushed up to him and embraced him, her head buried into the crook of his neck and she convulsed with tears. He stood straight, lifting her feet off the ground, leaving her no choice but to wrap them around his waist. He gripped on to her tightly, trying to find the right words to say to calm her, but Robbie had never been the reasons for her tears. So he held on to her, rubbing her back reassuringly as she wept.

"I'm just so confused." She choked out, "I don't know—"

"Shh it's okay kitty." He said soothingly as he lowered her back down to the pavement. His smile wavered as he took her hand supportively and led her like a child, "Let's get you home."

The only actions shared between the pair during the short walk were when Robbie offered Cat a crumple napkin he found in her bag to wipe her tears away with, she mumbled a small thank you and continued to sniffle and weep. For what, Robbie wasn't really sure anymore, was she weeping because she wanted Robbie back as a friend… or because she wanted him to be more.

He couldn't be certain if Cat even knew why she was upset, the girl was an enigma. But she was also his Cat, the girl who gave him a lolly when the first met, the girl who allowed him into her group of friends…

The girl he loved.

But it was still too complicated, she was still completely oblivious to the mistakes she makes when it comes to love, and Robbie wasn't ready to open his heart to her, not if he was just going to be another one of those boys, Cat might get bored of him, her moods change so often that he couldn't predict how she would react to him.

He wasn't ready to lose her completely.

Finally they arrived at her house, Robbie let go of her hand but she grabbed for it again, apparently soothed by his touch. She smiled as she stared at their intertwined hands.

"I missed this." She mumbled, "I missed you comforting me when I get sad."

"I know." Robbie replied, "I miss you too Cat."

She stamped her foot like a child as she pouted at him, "Then why can't we be friends."

He loosened her grip, "Cat, I don't just want to be your friend."

She frowned, "But you aren't just my friend."

Robbie arched an eyebrow, "Well that what am I?"

"My best friend." She said innocently.

It was a never-ending circle. One that Robbie was tiring of, how many times would he have to drop hints until she finally understood, that they weren't meant to be just friends, or best friends.

"No Cat." He said earnestly, "That's not what I meant."

Her forehead crinkled, "Well then what did you mean?"

He gave her a small smile, before giving her a small kiss on her forehead, "That's what I want you to figure out for yourself Cat."

Then he turned and walked away, without a second glance at the redhead, who had just removed the letter for her bag and began to read it for the millionth time.

"You drove me to do this." She mused.

Then it clicked, she saw the old Robbie, her gangly nerdish Robbie who was her best friend. Her eyes flicked from the letter to new Robbie now as he walked away. With his broad shoulder, his toned and trim physique, the hair, the contacts. He reminded her of every boy she had ever dated.

So if she drove him to do this, did he go through this transformation…

To impress her?

* * *

**Oh dramallamas.**

**Soo it was a long one right.. right!**

**What did you all think?**

**And to guest reviewer, i think you may need to reread chapter 10 because in it I stated that Tebbie is and would always be platonic, so it is not a romance between the pair! Girls and boys can be friends! They just have a deep connection because they have both been through rough times!**

**But in saying that I hope you read on and end up enjoying my interpretation!**

**Anyhoo! THANK YOU so much for giving me over 100 reviews, it means so much to me that you are all enjoying this story and I am more than happy to continue with your constant support!**

**Love you all!**

**Sweeney7760**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The steady beat of music mirrored the thump of his foot as it slapped the pavement. They say that running is cathartic, it helps you clear your head while keeping you fit and healthy. But for Robbie Shapiro he found that his thoughts seemed to swirl around his mind, unable to shake them off as he pushed himself to the limit. More than anything, he wanted to move forward with his life, because even though he was physically moving forward, his legs propelling him onward around the twisting path in the park, he felt as though he was planted to the ground like one of the many pine trees that dotted the area around him, giving the area that sweet smelling pine scent.

He was trapped, the world constantly moving and thriving around him as he stood stuck in exact same position; on the small patch of neatly trimmed green grass below her bedroom window, waiting for her to bound out of the door, that fateful morning when he finally received some perspective about his confusing feelings for his best friend.

Yet, as he had evolved, changing himself to be a quintessential teenage boy, he found that he still could not bring himself to tell her how he felt. It was as if he had entombed himself in a glass case. He would always be able to see her, and in turn, she would be able to gaze in at him too. But her vision of him would be forever tainted and tinted by the glass surrounding him, so she would never truly see him the way that he craved her too.

Glass is a dangerous substance; Robbie could easily crack it and watch it explode into a million pieces of tiny shards. But like glass, his relationship with Cat was just as fragile, it was already too delicate, that it could disintegrate with even the smallest of fissures, and he found that he could bring himself to risk everything. What if he decided to jeopardise everything they already have, only to discover that she would never truly love him the way he wanted her too… he was certain a piece of the sharp shards of glass would pierce his heart, and he would never truly recover.

He knew that it was only logical to move forward. After all, he noticed the reaction that he received from women now. He noted their hungry gazes as they stared at him in the halls, the extremely generous tips he received at work, not to mention the number of numbers he received on the back of receipts. He had considered that maybe it was time to give up on that pipedream, should he take a chance? Ask out someone else; complete all of those firsts he was yet to experience, which would then lead to him falling in love with someone who could actually reciprocate those feelings.

Forget about Cat Valentine altogether.

He felt compelled to her, as if she had managed to tether herself to his heart. He would never be able to forget the first time he locked eyes with her, the first time she held his hand, offering him friendship that he had previously never experienced. She would always be his first love, as sad as it was that she wasn't even consciously aware of it. He could never consider her anything else.

He was moving forward, it just so happened that "forward" was towards her house. Before he was even conscious of this action, his feet had skidded to a halt when his eyes fixed on the small pool of light expelling from her bedroom window. Fixating on the small top window to the right, the one with the worn and washed-out fuchsia pink curtains, he spotted the shadow that danced on the wall; she had just entered the room.

He never made it to the door. He moved forward, intent on slamming his fist on the door, wanting nothing more than to finally know if she understood the hidden message of his leaving letter. That was until he realised that she was no longer alone, another dark shadow had joined hers. A males by the stature and height, they were locked in an embrace.

It was then, with a horrible feeling in his stomach, he remembered the obvious.

That she was not his to claim.

So he ran, in the only direction that was plausible at this moment. Relationships were tricky, no matter how close you and that person may seem, no matter if you are linked by blood, there will be moments that will define how much you truly care about that person and if you fail, it is unlikely that you will ever be able to fix it. Robbie really needed clarity when it came to Cat Valentine, because to him she has always been a complete riddle, it was just in her nature, it was one of things that made her so loveable and so annoying at the same time.

So naturally, he would seek out the only person who gave him any sense of direction.

He had to speak to Tess.

""""""""""""""""""""""""

The only problem was he had absolutely no idea which house was hers. The problem could have been easily solved in an instance, if she wasn't so lazy and actually bothered to answer his incessant phone calls. His limited knowledge of her exact location meant that he had circled one of the most dangerous streets in all of Hollywood and surprising, had not been attacked yet. The whole area almost suffocated him with a sense of foreboding. Nearly every street light bulb had exploded prior to this expedition, apart from one that buzzed and flickered every so often, the harsh bark of a violent dog bit at his ears as he attempted to shield his face with the hood of his jacket. The houses where decorated with some very graphic graffiti that covered the peeling paint, as he glanced up at a window he witnessed a couple quarrelling and averted his gaze, an overwhelming sense of dread spilling over him.

He was about to give up when he pressed his phone to his ear for what felt like the thousandth time, as he listened to the monotonous tone he glanced up just in time to spot the speck of light that he associated with the inhalation of a cigarette. Focusing, he could distantly hear the hum of a vibrating phone and the soft jingle of a ringtone.

Her ringtone.

He scowled as he shot over to the rusted fire escape that she was perched on, her legs dangling over the edge as she smirked at him before taking another puff of her cigarette, exhaling the toxic smoke into the night sky.

"Took you long enough." She mused as she flicked ash at him, "You know you passed here twice?"

Flicking his tongue against the top of his mouth in annoyance, he asked, "Are you going to let me in?"

She snorted irately as she rose to his feet, glaring down at him as she placed her arms on the rails, the fire escape groaning in protest at the sudden weight, "Why should I? I didn't ask you to come here."

"I just want to talk!" he shouted up to her, annoyed at the distance between them, vexed that she seemed to have more power over him given her height, "I don't want to talk to anyone else about this! I only want to speak to you!"

He thought he saw a ghost of a smile dance across her lips as she turned away, throwing the end of her cigarette at him in the process, "Well, my window is always open." She muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she heaved the dust covered and dirty window open.

"This isn't very safe." Robbie muttered to himself as he placed his foot on the first rail of the ladder, the fixture instantly moaning in objection at his weight.

"Get used to it Shapiro." she mumbled before clambering in through the window.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

In his lifetime he had only been in two girl's bedrooms, one was his biological sister so that barely counted and the other was Cat's. But with her princess bed covers, her framed photos of fluffy kittens with innocent eyes and fat bunny rabbits chewing on straw and her collection of stuffed animals, her room resembled a child's so starkly, that he felt as if that barely counted either. As he squeezed himself through the small window he tripped face first on to the cold wood that covered the floor. As he rose he smiled sheepishly at Tess who was leaning on the doorframe, scowling at him.

"Out of my bedroom Shapiro." She ordered with a jab of her thumb towards the room directly behind her.

For once, he didn't blindly agree to her orders. Instead he took this moment to turn around the small space, absorbing as much of the room as possible. He had to admit that the space was not what he expected, Tess was so creative, so much so that it hadn't slipped his mind that half of the graffiti on this street could be her work. But her room was so… clinical, the walls painted a frosty blue, they matched the blue throw on her single bed. The chest of drawers and small desk where organised and clean. This room did not in any way reflect her personality and he couldn't help but notice that there wasn't even one photo in her room.

Apparently she had reached her level of tolerance, because she had leap over and grabbed his ear. Ignoring his howl of pain she pulled him into the main room and slammed her door shut with such force that he noticed the glass of water on the kitchen counter had rippled. To Robbie, or to anyone else with a set of functioning eyes, the only room that Tess seemed to care about what her bedroom. Stacks of unwashed dishes overflowed from the small sink, black mold lurked like an unwanted guest on the corner of the walls that Robbie was certain, if he placed his hand on them, they would be slick from the dampness of the room. Slamming the old tv set with her fist, Tess smiled as the screen stopped flashing on and off and placed herself on the faded and lumpy sofa that Robbie could only assume used to be a rich emerald green.

"What do you want Shapiro?" Tess demanded as she flicked through the tv channels, "Could this not have waited until tomorrow?"

"You live here?" he asked, unable to stop himself as he perched himself at the very edge of the sofa in an attempt to avoid the spring that was poking through the cushion.

"Home sweet home." She mused, her eyes trained on the television screen, "Anyway, what's wrong with Cat now?"

"How did you know it was about Cat?" he said, successfully distracted from the current issue at the simple utter of her name, "It could have been about something else."

Her habitual smirk graced her face as she glanced at him for the corner of her eye, "It's always about the great Cat Valentine." She replied shrewdly, "So go on, what happened this time."

"Well after you ran out of practice today, she asked me if I wanted to walk home." His delivery of the tale was rapid, "She asked about us, and I told her that we were dating and then she just completely freaked out and started yelling at me. Complaining about how I had replace her, that I had forgotten about her."

Tess arched an eyebrow, but remained impartial as she asked, "and then?"

"Then she started crying!" he continued, with an exasperated shrug of his shoulders, "She told me she missed me, and I have never been great at staying mad at her when she is upset. She just looks so broken. But she still doesn't understand why I have to distance myself from her and it's just hurting me so much that I couldn't stand it anymore. I went back to her house tonight."

"Did you cave?" she asked, her tone monotonous as she began to pick at her nails.

"No." He admitted, "She wasn't alone. He was there."

She scoffed hatefully, "He would be."

"What do you think?" Robbie questioned, wanting nothing more than to hear her brutally honest opinion on the matter, "How can she go from wanting me one minute to going back to him the next."

Rising from the sofa, Tess made the short journey over to her small fridge, the door handing off as she prised it open, "Sounds to me like she doesn't know what she wants Robbie. Now more than ever she is confused because she is not getting what she wants from you."

"Which is?" Robbie urged her as she picked up a carton of milk and sniffed it.

"Your constant attention." She stated before taking a gulp of the liquid, straight from the carton. She grimaced, a disgusted cough issuing from her throat as she set the milk down, "Eurgh, that's disgusting."

Glancing down at the stack of letters on the coffee table, he noticed how each one was unopened, and addressed to a Mrs. Green, which certainly was not Tess.

"Are your parents here?" Robbie asked, his eyes flicking from the letter to Tess' cool expression.

"No I live with my aunt." She answered nonchalant as she perched on the kitchen counter top, keeping herself at a distance from him, "She is on vacation at the minute."

"Well when will she back?" Robbie enquired, his attention once again on the stack of unopened letters, "How long has she been away."

Tess suddenly became very interested in picking off the dark nail polish off her nails as she replied casually, "Oh I don't know, it's been what; three, maybe four months."

"What?" he demanded as he rose to his feet, "You have been by yourself, in this area for over three months? Tess what the hell! Just go home back to your parents!"

"I can't." she said through gritted teeth, "Don't talk about what you don't understand Robbie."

"Then explain it to me!" he vented, concerned for her, "Why can't you?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" she snapped as she sprang off the counter and squared up to him, "I didn't ask you to come over here. Just stop with the hero-complex Robbie, you can't save everyone." She screeched as her talon–like nails bit into his arm.

Clamping down on his arm she dragged him over to her front door and wretched it open, "So just focus on saving that gullible redhead, because _I don't need to be saved_."

The apartment door snapped shut in front of him, he muttered under his breath as he burst through the front door and into the cold night air. Kicking an abandoned can to try and vent his rage at Tess, he stomped off home, completely vexed at his friend. In a way she was right, he did have a hero-complex, he was convinced that he could help her get over her repressed feelings of Liam, but he didn't realise that it was much deeper than that, it surrounded her home life too. Was he attracted to people with problems, because it certainly seemed that way. Tess was the opposite of Cat in almost every way, but they had one important thing in common; they were both two teenage girls who had been hurt in the past, and they both had issues, some more underlying than others.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

School was the same, everything occurring just as he had expected it to, almost like it was a routine now. As he closed his locker over, he allowed himself that one second glance over at the glittering purple locker decorated with a redheaded girl riding on the back of a smiling giraffe. The girl behind the juvenile artwork was currently handing out special meat that her brother had made, she did this occasionally, last week it was a strange concoction of beef and liquorish… it didn't sit well in anyone stomach. As usual, she flew straight past him, their eyes locking for only a moment before she rushed over to Liam, who eyed him suspiciously. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction, Robbie glared at him so fervently that he would have made Tess proud.

Then he marched away, giving his old friends a slight dip of his head as he passed their piano, star emblazoned and transparent lockers. He was the first one to collapse on to his seat in history class. Slamming his forehead against his followed arms on the table, he allowed his eyes snap shut. He was mentally exhausted; he hated not knowing where he stood with his friends. Was Cat ever going to speak to him again, or like Tess was she too annoyed to speak to him?

It was one of life's cruel ironies that his assigned seat was directly in the middle of the _perfect _couple. Cat sat to the left of him, her curled red hair acting as a curtain as she began to pour the contents of her bag on to the small desk, while Liam sat to his left, shooting him vexed glances at every opportunity.

He stiffly stared at the board, trying his best to ignore the gushing looks Cat was showering her boyfriend with. He concentrated on the droning and colourless voice of their teacher as explained the causes of the First World War. Thankfully, Robbie was saved by the projection flicking over to the student news website, which was hosted by Tori Vega. Their teacher scowled as he sat behind his desk. Teachers loathed the mandatory student news bulletins that occurred once a month because they disrupted the entire class.

"Hey everyone!" Tori greeted them in her usual upbeat manner, as she shuffled her sheets like a professional news anchor, "Exciting news!"

Cat squeaked in surprise and sat bolt upright in her chair, suddenly very interested in what Tori had to say. Robbie on the other hand, was always uninterested in what the student body had to say, it was always something to do with the popular crowd, they always had a pep-rally or a match that the students had to attend or face social rejection for the rest of the year.

"As you know, this year's annual Prome is only a day away!" Tori said chirpily, beaming into the camera lens that was streaming her live to the entire school, "So that means it is time to announce the nominations from Prome King and Queen!"

Everyone in the class cheered and muttered excitedly, asking each other who they thought was going to be nominated. Everyone but Robbie that was, he was too busy gazing at his phone to care what Tori had to say.

"So I'll start with the queen nominations!" she continued as she wiggled a golden envelope in front of the lens, "Okay.." she mumbled as she flipped it open.

"Nominations are;" she mumbled, "Jade West?" she crinkled her nose, "did she threaten the committee again?" she demanded as she twisted in her chair to shout at her team behind her, rolling her eyes she continued, "Anyway, Jade West apparently. Next we have.." she beamed, "Oh it's me!"

Cat clapped loudly, cheering their names, apparently not caring that they wouldn't be able to hear them. Robbie just rolled his eyes, unsurprised that Tori had managed to get the vote. "Thirdly we have… Oh Cat Valentine!"

Liam yelled loudly, "That's right!" while Cat just gasped adorably, her brown eyes popping in surprise, her shock at lot more believable than Tori's feigned surprise.

"Lastly we have –" Tori paused, her voice uncertain, "Tess Green... Does she even go here?" she murmured to her staff behind her who merely shrugged.

Suddenly Robbie was very conscious that half of his class where gazing at him, Cat's smile had vanished from her face as she stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. Robbie squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, unsure how he was meant to react.

"Oh." He mumbled, "My girlfriend, that's great!" he said, trying to pour as much enthusiasm as possible into that statement.

Suddenly Tori's words had become that much more interesting, as she listed off the nominations from Prome King. Obviously Beck was nominated, along with Liam, who also was no surprise. He was followed by a boy that Robbie couldn't place, but he was more than likely a football player like Liam who cheered for him.

He watched as Tori gasped, "Robbie Shapiro!" she cheered, "There we have it; Beck, Liam, James and Robbie along with Jade, myself, Cat and Tess are your nominations!"

He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, he had never imagined this. Students all around the room congratulated him, while Liam and Cat exchanged shocked expressions. Glancing over at Cat, she rushed out of the room without an explanation, mumbling "no" as she rushed away from Liam who was chased after her.

As the bell sounded, he rose from his chair as if in a daze, the feeling of being nomination was yet to sink in. Wandering aimlessly down the hall, he muttered several thank you to the girls that congratulated him. He was so wrapped up in the events of today that he almost bashed straight into Lane's opened office door.

"Ah Robbie!" he greeted warmly, "Congratulations on your nomination and I suppose congratulations on your girlfriend's nomination!"

"What?" Robbie said, momentarily bewildered.

"Tess." Lane explained, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "I thought you two where an item?"

"Oh!" Robbie replied, "Oh yeah, thanks."

He beamed, "It's just what she needs. It's a perfect gift for her, especially today."

"Wait." Robbie asked perplexed by his statement, "What's so special about today."

Lane laughed heartedly as he clapped Robbie on the back, "You better hit the shops quickly Robbie. Women don't appreciate it when you forget their birthday."

"Oh yeah." Robbie said, trying to sound convincing, "Yeah I got her something."

Lane smiled warmly at him, "You better get to class Robbie." he warned before he returned to his office.

Robbie remained stationary for a moment, trying to gather all of his thoughts together as the students filtered into various classrooms around him, until he was left on his own. It was just then that she peeked out from around the corner and rushed over to him, smiling warmly as she pulled him into a hug.

"Hi!" she said brightly as she waved her hand in his face, "Are you okay?"

Blinking feverishly, he glanced down at her and smiled nervously, "Yeah I think so."

"Okay." She said uncertainly as she clutched her giraffe awkwardly, "So em, congratulations on the nomination."

"Yeah me and Tess are really excited." He lied easily, "It was completely unexpected though."

"Oh Tess." She pressed her lips together and nodded, "That's right, she is very pretty." She mused as she hugged tighter.

"Cat." Robbie asked uncertainly, "Do you want something or –"

Her eyes lit up instantly, "Oh yes! I wanted to talk to you about last night, thank you for looking after me."

He smiled warmly, "I'm just glad you are okay now. Though if you could stop ignoring me when he is around that would be great."

"I don't!" she said defensively, "He just doesn't understand how I could be friends with you."

He arched a brow, "How you could be friends with me?"

Her eyes popped, "No that's not what I meant! I wanted to tell you that I get it now!"

"Get what?" he asked uncertainly.

"I-"

She was cut off by the arm that had weaved it's way around her waist, glancing up she smiled uncertainly at Liam as he glared at Robbie.

"I thought I told you Shapiro." His voice low and intimidating, "To leave Cat alone, she doesn't want to talk to you."

Cat shook her head, "No Liam, I came over to him, I wanted to tell him –"

He cut her off, "It's okay babe, you don't have to lie for him. You don't owe him anything."

"Why don't you stop feeding her lies." Robbie retorted viciously before he turned to Cat, "What was it you wanted to tell me Cat?"

"I –" Her voice cracked as her eyes darted from each boy, "Never mind."

Just like that she had rushed away, running away from awkward situation was seriously that girl's forte. Leaving the two boys facing each other head to head, Liam glared at Robbie.

"Great now you have upset her!" Liam complained, "Do you know how long it takes to calm her down?!"

"That was all on you!" Robbie said scathingly, "And of course I do! She was mine first!"

He scoffed cruelly, "Really Robbie? She was your first? Funny because she didn't seem to care about you last night when she was screaming my name."

Robbie bit back, his fingers curling into a fist, "I told you to leave her alone! I know what you are you sick son of a –"

Before his fist could smash into Robbie's exposed face he was blocked by his very own human shield, who was shaking profusely, but still managed to glare at the boy in front of her. He had never been more grateful to see Tess, who had just saved him from the plummeting he was about to receive. She had managed to intercept the punch with her fist, but the sudden contact proved too much for her, she had lost her voice, real tears forming in her eyes as she glared scathingly at her past love.

Grabbing her hand, Robbie pulled her away, "Just walk away Tess." He mumbled softly, "It's okay, I've got you."

Liam glanced perplexedly at the couple, along with the rest of students as they left Hollywood Arts. Robbie was worried for her, because when they had locked eyes, he could have sworn he saw a glint in Liam eyes, as if he had just recognised who it was he was really glaring at.

Tess said nothing as she detached herself from Robbie, the colour had seeped away from her normally rosy cheeks. But not a single tear had fallen, she had managed to keep them all back as she swung her bag onto her back and strode off, leaving Robbie at the threshold, wondering which girl he should run to first:

His first love or his best friend.

* * *

**Oh the constant drama.. you guys know that I love doing this but if you where Robbie who would you go to first?**

**Eurgh Liam.. don't you just hate that guy!**

**Prome next chapter guys and I promise there will be loads of cabbie drama!**

**Love, **

**Sweeney7760!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Choices are never easy to make, especially when faced with pleasing one girl and upsetting another. It was really a question of which one needed him more, both Tess and Cat where stronger than they appeared. But he knew too well that everyone had a breaking point, currently both girls where clutching at straws. Rushing back into Hollywood Arts, Robbie scanned the corridors of the school in search of the redhead, as he headed towards the asphalt Café, he heard the familiar sniffle and raggedy intake of breath that he related with Cat crying.

He halted when he noticed that she was not alone, in fact it was quite the opposite. Both Tori and a very reluctant Jade West where attempting to comfort her. Tori had her arms wrapped tightly around her as the petite girl shook in her arms, while Jade awkwardly patted the top of her head once, then continued to use her phone. Clarity washed over Robbie as he watched the two girl's comfort Cat. It reminded him that Cat would never be alone; she always had a close group of people who were ready to comfort her. So why was Robbie searching for her first when there was someone else who needed him so much more?

As Tori spotted him, she tried to usher him over with a quick flick of her hand, her eyes pleading as she rubbed the Cat's back. But Robbie shook his head and muttered, "no" as he turned his back on them and rushed back out the door, a plan forming in his head as he rushed home. Cat would just have to wait. Then she would have an idea what it felt like for Robbie all these years, for once she would experience the pain that it brought.

Scratching his keys through the keyhole he shimmed the door open and bounded up the staircase, heading straight down to the narrow landing to Maddie's bedroom. Pulling her headphone out of her ears, she gazed at her brother in bewilderment as he burst through her bedroom door and began to pace.

"You only pace when you are fretting about something." She deduced as she switched her music off, "What's wrong?"

"Will you take me shopping?" he asked, the tips of his ears growing hot with embarrassment, "I need your help with something."

She cocked an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips, "What do you need?"

"A birthday present." He explained, "I need to get something for Tess."

Snapping her laptop shut, Maddie used her feet to propel herself on her desk chair from one side of her room to another. Grabbing her coat and keys, she sighed as she headed towards the door, "Come on Robbie. This could take some time."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Are you sure this is right?" Maddie asked unsurely as she pulled her car over, the breaks squeaking as it came to a halt.

Robbie nodded as he stared down at the large square baby blue box with the large white ribbon uncomfortably, "Are you sure that –"

"For the last time!" she said heatedly, "You ask me to come with you because you had no idea what you were looking for! This is perfect; it is exactly what she would like. Just hand it to her!"

"Do you think it's too much?" Robbie asked apprehensively, "What if she hates it?"

Maddie scrunched her nose like a rabbit does before a sneeze before replying, "Robbie I have known Tess longer than you. I've work with her for almost a year now, and she has said about two words to me. As far as I know you are the only person she talks to on a regular basis, this could be the only gift she has gotten in years. I am sure she will appreciate this."

"Right, okay. You don't think it's sappy." Robbie muttered as he unclipped himself from the passenger seat.

She laughed, "Of yeah it's sappy. But maybe that's just what she needs."

Robbie smiled at his sister before he stepped out of the car, "Thanks Mads!" he called back to her.

She smiled warmly and gave him a small wave as she drove off, leaving Robbie standing outside Tess' shabby apartment. It was awkward to clamber up the terrifyingly unsecure fire escape, especially when you were you were carrying a very expensive gift and another bag. That had been so delicately wrapped. Somehow, he managed to make it to the top without falling to his demise. Peering through the dirty window, he could just about make out the outline of Tess' wiry frame as she lay on the bed, her arms folded across her chest.

She jumped as he lightly tapped the window frame; he watched as she rose with caution and carefully treaded over to the window. Pulling the window open she glared at Robbie as she leaned on the frame. Her face was still possessed a sickly greyish tint, her eyes bloodshot from her efforts to not cry.

"You know I was joking about my window always being open right?" she said coarsely, "I want to be alone right now Robbie."

"Wait!" Robbie urged as she moved to close the door, "Five minutes please!"

Tess glared at him, her eyes narrowed viciously as she decided whether or not to allow him access. Curiosity must have gotten the better of her, because she stepped aside and allowed him to climb, once again, into her bedroom. She sat at the edge of her bed, flicking her lighter on and off nervously as he straightened himself up and brandished the large box in front of her.

"Happy Birthday." He said simply, as she took the box off him carefully.

"I didn't –" She murmured as she stared at the present, her voice a mixture of shock and wonderment.

"I know, Lane told me." Robbie explained, "It didn't seem right not to get you a present, especially since you were so brave back there in school. I got you a few things."

Setting the bag down, he pulled out a party hat and place it on her head. She scowled, but did not rip it off like he had expected her too. Then he pulled out a small pink box in and opened it, to reveal a red velvet cupcake. Placing a single candle in the cake he passed it to her, smiling at her bewildered expression.

"I can't remember the last time I was given a cake." She muttered, her eyes watching the candle flicker.

"Make a wish." Robbie teased as he held the cupcake.

She swore under her breath as she rolled her eyes, but she played along and blew out the candle. Robbie cheered as he set the cake carefully down on her desk, before sitting down on the stiff bed. Tess fingers travelled over the thick, smooth wrapping paper, before she felt the soft velvet bow that sealed the package.

"You know you can open it." He murmured softly, "I bought it for you."

"I know." She mumbled, not gazing up to meet his eye, "It's just too much. I don't want it."

Robbie laughed, "Well it's non-refundable, and it's not really my style. So I guess you are stuck with it."

"I didn't ask you to buy me this." She said defensively, "I was perfectly fine –"

"Tess I don't care!" Robbie said with a slight laugh, "Like it or not you are my friend, my best friend in fact and no one should be on their own on their birthday, especially in a place like this. So just open it and politely accept my gift!"

She gently pulled at the ribbon, and set it to the side as she carefully tore the paper, "No one has given me a present in years." She whispered as she lifted the lid and pushed aside the fine tissue paper that protected the gift.

He heard a sharp intake of breath as she stared at the present, "I thought you could wear it to the Prome tomorrow."

"I'm not going to the Prome." She muttered as she pushed her gift aside, "I'm a hermit remember."

Robbie shrugged as he pushed himself back on her bed and leaned against the way, "That's fine. Then you will put on the dress, and I'll take you out for a birthday meal tomorrow. Either way you are wearing it."

"Why don't you just give it to Cat and ask her to be your date." She asked, her voice for once was calm rather than cold, "Tell her you broke up with me and that you want to take her."

Robbie considered this, watching as she traced circles around the soft material. Tess was giving him a way out of their deal, she was giving him a choice. He could leave her now, rush over to Cat and confess how wrong Liam was for her, and how perfect they would be together.

"No." he said assuredly, "You need me more right now than Cat does. Besides I want to take you to the dance. It could be fun, if you know you smiled and allowed yourself to enjoy yourself."

She smirked as she thumped him playfully on the arm, "Watch it Shapiro, I enjoy some things."

He snorted, "Yeah: smoking and sarcasm."

"Oh yes they are my bread and butter." She said ironically, as she rose from the bed and picked up her cupcake.

She smiled before taking a small bit of it, a thin line of icing covered the top of her lips, "It's good." she admitted as she went to take another bite.

"So will you be my date?" Robbie asked her, added quickly as he noticed her eyes widen in alarm, "As friends of course!"

She groaned, throwing her free hand up in defeat, "Fine I'll go. But only as a favour to you, not because I want to go."

Robbie grinned widely as he jumped up, "Brilliant! I can see it now. Tess Green, Prome Queen and you are not even a senior! You are breaking the tradition you know!"

She rolled her eyes, "Eurgh I almost forgot about that, I just heard about it when I saw you with –" she trailed off, her voice hitching at the very thought of him.

Robbie's smile faded when he saw her slump back on to her bed, "Tess." He said tenderly, "You can talk to me. I promise I won't judge you."

She shook her head, "What do you mean?" she said bemusedly, "I'm an open book Shapiro. I have nothing to hide."

Robbie sighed, "I don't understand why you are still so defensive. Maybe I could help you. If start with the small stuff that is, like where your parents are for example."

"Don't know." She said heavily, not meeting his eyes.

"How can you not know?" he wondered.

"I just don't okay!" she replied heatedly as she returned to flicking her lighter on and off again.

"Okay." He said gently, sensing that she was about to get work up once again, "We don't have to talk about it."

She nodded, biting her lip as she grabbed her box of cigarettes and her lighter, "I'm going for a smoke." She mumbled as she rushed out the window.

Robbie followed her out onto the fire escape, watching as she took a quick puff of her cigarette, her body relaxing instantly. Her hand was shaking against the railing, when she noticed him glancing at it she curled it into a fist and sighed.

"I'm not used to this." She admitted, "You know, people actually caring about me."

"I know." Robbie said understandably, "But you have to learn to open up Tess. I know it's not easy, but it gets better. I promise."

Her sigh was shaky as she stared up at the clouded sky, still unable to meet his eyes, "I'm not ready Robbie. Not yet."

"Okay let's go!" Robbie announced with a clap of his hands, "Time for the next present!"

Tess grimaced, "Robbie." She said testily, "Stop."

"Last one." He promised as he guided her back inside, "Grab your bag."

"Why?"

"I'm taking you to my house." He answered simply, "I'm going to make you a proper dinner."

"""""""""""""""""""""

It was the very least he could do, but he had to admit, it was strange having Tess in his kitchen as he attempted to cook her a birthday dinner. She was timid, almost shy as he introduced her to his mother, who smiled warmly and gave her a small hug. Robbie grinned when it happened, because Tess wasn't the warmest of people, but she still managed to wrap her arms around his mother for a moment before hastily breaking the hug with an unnaturally nervous laugh. He even managed to make her smile when he attempted to stir the pasta that had stuck together as if he had pasted them together.

His face grew hot from the stove as he smiled sheepishly at Tess, who had by this stage, lasted 40 minutes without making a single sarcastic comment. She silently helped him load the plates with food, she didn't even comment on how poorly his pasta looked. Leading her into their small but comfortable dining room, he set the simple pasta and meatball meal in front of her, before taking a seat on the chair opposite her. The only sounds created by the pair were the clatter and scrapping of cutlery against china as they began to eat. That was until Tess spluttered with laughter as she watched him try to scoop up the slimy pasta with his fork.

"Thank you." She mumbled, as she ate a small portion of her pasta.

Robbie arched an eyebrow, "Sorry what was that?"

She smirked, "Don't push it."

They ate in silence once again after that, Tess glancing around the room, staring at the family photos with an stab of longing that made Robbie almost guilty that he brought her into this room. This room was a gallery, filled with photos of Robbie and Maddie, from the moment they were born up until this year. Tess pointed at the most recent photo of Robbie, complete with his curly afro, his gangly frame and his horrible thick-brimmed glasses.

"When was that taken?" She asked curiously.

He frowned as he glared at the old photo of him; he thought he had told his mother to take that one down. He looked so… ill, so pale and sickly with his pasty skin and bony frame.

"A couple of months ago." He mumbled as he twisted more pasta around his fork, "I look awful right?"

Tess frowned, "So that was when you had the illness?"

He nodded, "Wasn't my best time. But it's okay, time heals all wounds."

"You believe that?" she questioned doubtfully.

"No." Robbie answered truthfully, "But maybe if I say it enough, I may start to believe it."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a light rap on the door, followed by his sister poking her head through the door.

"Robbie you have another visitor." She told him, her eyes quickly scanning the situation, "I can ask her to leave if you want time alone."

"It's fine." Tess apparently had answered for him, rising from the table she dabbed her lips with a napkin before placing it on her now empty plate, "I should get going anyway."

Robbie nodded as he rose, "I'll walk you out then."

Opening the front door was awkward, even though he had mentally prepared himself for who he was going to see. Cat smiled warmly at Robbie, her smile only faltering slightly when she glanced at Tess, who gave her the smallest of smiles before turning to Robbie.

"I had a nice time." Tess told him candidly, "Thank you."

"Happy Birthday" He gave her a small peck on the cheek before she bid Cat goodbye and walked down the driveway, heading left towards her house, where no one was waiting for her.

Robbie frowned as he watched her go, wishing he could do more to help her, to give her the support that she needed. But she needed a family, and how was he supposed to provide her with that?

For now though, he had to turn his attention to the other woman in this life. He had no idea why Cat had sought him out after the events of today, shouldn't she be angry at him, or was she here to apologise.

"Did I interrupt?" she asked innocently as Robbie stepped aside to let her in out of the cold.

"No it's fine." Robbie mumbled as he walked back into the dining room, "We were finished anyway."

Cat remained at the edge of the room, biting her lip as she glanced at the empty plates, "You made her spaghetti?"

He nodded, "Yeah, it's her birthday today."

"But that's what you always make me…" she murmured sadly as she twisted her hands together, her eyes averted.

"Cat." Robbie muttered exasperatedly, "It's only a dinner."

"But that's what you always made me!" she said oversensitively, "I thought it was special!"

"Cat." Robbie said his voice curt as he brushed past her, "You didn't come here to talk about my very limited culinary skills."

She shook her head as she chased after him into the modern and sparkling clean kitchen, Maddie was slurping some coffee at the kitchen counter as she the pair entered. She cocked an eyebrow as she watched Cat following Robbie, her jaw set as he dropped the plates in the sink.

"Want me to leave?" Maddie asked uncertainly.

Robbie shrugged, "I don't know. Cat is this something you need to tell me alone."

"No." Cat said, "It's fine. I just – wanted to know if you had a date to the Prome?"

"Well yes." Robbie replied expectantly, "I am taking Tess."

"Oh" Cat said, her voice small, "It's just, I didn't think she would have been a dance kind of person."

"Well she is." Robbie lied quickly, "You just don't know her."

"She seems a bit –" she paused searching for the right word, "dark. Not right for you."

"Cat." Robbie rubbed his temples in annoyance, "What is this really about?"

"Tess!" she yelled, her cheeks flushing pink, "She is so… odd! She is not right for you, you should be with someone else! Someone fun and cheery and… perky!"

"You are one to talk!" Robbie retorted, all of this pented up anger at Cat spilling out once again. How could she judge Tess, when she knew nothing of her past, or what she was currently going through right now, all in an apparently failing attempt to help her.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she demanded.

Maddie slipped out of the room, muttering "I'm just going to go" as she snapped the door shut.

"Liam!" he practically screeched, "He is pure scum Cat! Don't you see how he controls you, and he talks about you like you are nothing but a –"

"What?" she said, her voice hoarse.

"Have you slept with him?" Robbie asked, he needed to know, he had to know if Liam had already manipulated her simple and innocent mind like so many of her other boyfriends had managed.

She blushed crimson as she stammered, "That's none of your business!"

"You've never been good at lying to me Cat." Robbie said, utterly appalled, "You did, didn't you."

"He loves me!" she explained, pulling out the oldest explanation known to man, "That's what you do when you are in love Robbie!"

"There is a big difference between love and sex Cat." Robbie said coldly, "Why haven't you realised that by now!"

"Why are you so mean to me?!" she demanded, tears running down her cheeks, "I came here to tell you that I know."

"Know what!"

"That you love me!" she blurted out, "That you changed for me!"

There it was. That moment of perfect clarity he had been waiting three years to hear from her lips. His glass case had exploded around him, and he could finally feel the fresh air brush over his skin, feel the heat of the sun on his bare skin. But it wasn't as he had imagined it at all, the world seemed harsher now, she could see him, but he could no longer see her, not clearly at least.

"I was in a clinic Cat." Robbie explained to her.

"What?" she asked, "Why?"

"I was sick." Robbie explained, "I needed you that day when you met me in the park that day. I needed you to listen to me, to ask me what was wrong. But you are so selfish sometimes, you were more concerned about Liam than me!" he took a deep breath, ready to tell her everything, "I have been in love with you for three years. Three years Cat. You should have known, should have realised before now! I thought I would never be good enough for you, that no girl would ever be good enough for me!"

"Robbie!" Cat wept, "I –"

"I have anorexia Cat!" he yelled, "You were my best friend and you didn't even notice! You could have stopped it all!"

"But!" she spluttered, "That's not fair!"

"Your right it's not!" Robbie bawled back, "But that's how it felt to me. I was so depressed, and all I wanted was for you to notice me, for you to love me."

"But I just don't know!" Cat yelled, "You're my friend, I do love you but –"

"Save it." Robbie spat as he marched out of the room and down the hall towards the front door. Cat was behind him, her head hanging low in shame and sorrow as she followed him.

"What does this mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Robbie sighed, attempting to expel all of the anger left in him, "I thought I loved you Cat… But now, I just don't know anymore."

She rushed out of the door without a second glance, shooting straight home, her cries echoing through the night. Robbie slammed the door shut and slid to the ground, where he was quickly joined by Maddie who took his hand, as his eyes began to glaze over. He hadn't meant it to happen, he shouldn't have let his rage get the better of him, and now she knew… she knew the secrets he had been keeping for what felt like a lifetime.

"At least you said it." Maddie told him.

He had always thought, that when the truth finally came out, he would be the one to be crushed by the feeling of rejection. That when the glass cracked and ricocheted, he would be the one to be injuried. But he was mistaken, because as she tore through the night, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. She felt a stabbing pain, more powerful and certainly more painful than anything she ever experienced before.

His sharp words had pierced her heart.

* * *

**Okay so no prome, but this was longer than I ever expected it to be! I managed to get cabbie things in here, i.e the spaghetti and both of Cat's phrases. and yet I didn't give you what you all crave so much.. which is actual cabbie... so my lovelys, you will all have to continue to bear with me and wait patiently!**

**I love the tebbie friendship, mainly because I wish I had someone as dependable as Robbie or Tess in my network of friends! Someone who will always try and look out for you no matter what. I hope you all enjoyed this! and I promise Prome will be the next chapter and I have BIG plans for it! It's going to be all kinds of crazay!**

**Even worse than the tattered and complicated relationship that is Cabbie!**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**Love,  
Sweeney7760**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

In his life, Robbie rarely found that everything went just as it should for him. At seventeen, he had been diagnosed with both anorexia and depression as a result of his crippling self-loathing and body image issues. But something positive had come out of it, he had found a best friend in Tess Green. But as the relationship progressed he realised that this was a girl who was so fragmented and damaged as he was, so now it was up to him to be her protector, to help her defeat the demons that he knew lurked in her thoughts.

This series of events had finally led to a conclusively charged encounter between himself and the girl that he had feelings for, the girl who he longed to forget about, but she had burrowed under his skin and no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't forget about her, the girl obviously being the one and only Cat Valentine.

Secrets had been shared, words said that could be never taken back, because there is power behind the secrets we share, that why you try to keep them hidden. There was so much more that he had wanted to tell her, he wanted to tell her the truth about Liam, about the twisted past he kept securely locked away from her. Yet he couldn't, Tess would never trust him again if he did so, so instead he did the only logical thing he could think of in his moment of blind rage.

Tell her the truth about his past.

It had went as he expected it to, her shock and disgust was apparent as he explained the years of torment he had forced himself through for too long. She was hurt, confused that he was placing all of this blame on her. But what else could she have anticipated; Robbie had spent three years of his precious teenage years pining after her as she wailed to him about how boys didn't like her, when all along he was right in front of her, ready for her to pick him.

Now as he waited in his living room, feeling like a wealthy man's butler in a very tight-fitting tuxedo and bow tie, he still couldn't figure out his feelings for Cat. If he was really truthful with himself, would he say that he still loved her? Love wasn't like a switch; you can't just turn it on and off as you please. Cat had caused him so much pain countless times, and now she had made the foolish mistake to give herself wholly to Liam, as he predicted she would.

He was angry at himself, livid because he should hate her, he should loathe her for everything she had caused… Yet, he still hear her delightful laugh, see her beautiful smile that cause two dimples to poke her cheeks, feel the warmth of her small hand on his as she held it. What if he had told her, what if he had possessed more courage?

Everything could have been so much different.

"Are you ready Robbie!" Maddie called from the top of the staircase, "I finally got her into the dress!"

Rising to his feet, Robbie crossed his living room and walked out in the hall, rolling his eyes at Maddie as he did so, "Mads this is so cliché" he complained, "Did we need to do the big reveal as she walks down the staircase."

"I have always wanted this to happen!" she said giddily as she rushed down the staircase, "Come on Tess."

"There is no way in hell I'm going in this!" she chimed from the landing, still out of range from Maddie and Robbie's vision.

"Tough luck Mads." Robbie said haughtily as he climbed the staircase, two steps at a time.

As he reached the top step, that's when he spotted her, staring at her reflection in the mirror, as if deciding whether to laugh at herself, or smash the mirror in rage. He really should thank Maddie again, because the dress that she had chosen for Tess was perfection, it was full length, grazing the floor ever so slightly due to low-heeled shoes Maddie had miraculously convinced her to wear. The midnight blue sheen to the dress, along with the daring slit up the side, highlighted her slim figure and the natural tan that her skin possessed. For once, there was a sense of elegance and style to her curled blonde bob, this moment gave Robbie a glimpse into the Tess that she once was; the socialite who desired to be like the other girls. If she thought that too, she didn't give it away as she turned around to him, a small sigh escaping her slips as she carefully walked over to him.

She grimaced as she wobbled, "I hate these damn heels."

"Really I couldn't tell." Robbie replied wittily.

She stared at him darkly, "If you call me pretty or anything tonight. I will slap you."

"Fine you look hideous." Robbie teased as he placed the white rose corsage on her wrist, "I can't believe I am stuck taking you to Prome."

Her ruby-red lips curled up into a smile, "Does that mean we don't have to go?"

Robbie shook his head as they walked down the staircase, Maddie gushing while his mother dabbed her eyes on the corner of her handkerchief. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Maddie grabbed the camera and ordered the pair to take a photo. He grimaced as Tess' manicured nail's sank into his arm, indicating her discomfort at the very thought of a camera.

"Tess doesn't take photos Maddie." Robbie explained to his bemused sister, "They make her nervous."

"Well then Maddie and Robbie." His mother ordered, "Let's get a photo of the pair of you for my collection."

Tess stifled a laugh as his mother snapped a series of photos Maddie and Robbie, some serious, some of them bickering, others where they pulled stupid faces at each other, until his mother was a blubbering mess about how this was the last ever high school dance. It was at that moment, Robbie decided it would be a good idea to bail out of the house, dragging Tess with him as they rushed over to his Mother's car. Sticking the key into the ignition, Robbie backed out of the driveway before his mother could chase after him and plant kisses on every inch of his face.

"I like your mum." Tess mumbled as she stared out the window, "She cares about you."

"She's a good woman." Robbie agreed, "She deserved better than my father." He added bitterly, "Families are never perfect Tess, you have to remember that."

"You ready to see Cat tonight." Tess asked hastily, effectively changing the subject.

"Well let's see." Robbie said, as he flicked his indicator up, "I took the day off school to avoid her after I confessed everything to her."

"You told her everything?" Tess demanded, her eyes wide, "You didn't tell her about Liam and the photo?!"

"Of course not!" Robbie replied earnestly, "I would never tell anyone that, it's our secret."

She slumped back in her chair, relaxing slightly, "So what happened?"

"She slept with him." He told her dryly, "Not very surprising considering how much power she allows him to have in the relationship."

He glanced at Tess, who sank back in her seat, her mouth covered by her hand, her eyes wide with shock as she shook her head.

"That's not good." Tess told him, her tone serious, "Oh god, it's going to happen soon Robbie."

"What do you mean?" Robbie asked quickly, his collar suddenly growing hot with worry, "What's going to happen?"

"The pattern!" she explained, her voice panicked, "That's how it was with me! He got what he wanted and then- then he… you know!"

"Exposed you." Robbie whispered, as his foot automatically pressed down on the accelerator.

""""""""""""""""""""""

If the sudden realisation of the danger Cat's reputation was in, Robbie would have been more impressed with the final Prome he would ever attend. The entire Asphalt Café had been drapped with thin strips of sheer material; soft pinks, mint green, baby blues that enclosed the students in soon as they walk through them. The tables had been moved back, to make room for the throng of students who were dancing at the very centre of the globe. A band was playing behind a huge projection board that was slowly reeling through photos of the senior students.

Tess and Robbie where amongst some of the last couples to arrive, parking his car hastily, they both jumped out of the car. Robbie grabbing Tess' hand as they rushed towards the entrance, knowing that they had to find Cat. Robbie could hear the blood pumping around his ears as he pushed through the throng of student's in search of the girl with the fiery red hair. Tess' detached herself from Robbie and grabbed his arms.

"Robbie." She ordered him, "You need to stay calm, we need to be cautious about this."

"But Tess –"

"No Robbie!" she shouted over the music, "You can't let him see that you are distressed, he is playing a very dangerous game. I'll go this way you go the other, if I find Cat I'll bring her back to you."

He nodded to indicate that he understood, before he dived straight into the crowd, pushing past the students, desperate to find Cat. He should have asked her last night, for now, he was unsure just how far she had allowed him to take their relationship.

"Robbie!"

He whipped around to see Jade standing behind him. His mind was so wrapped up with finding Cat that he forgot who he was speaking to, and gave quick her a quick hug, one that she did not reciprocate.

"Where is Cat?" he demanded, his eyes scanning the area.

"I don't know!" she screeched over the thump of the music, "She said she was going to bathroom a while ago but –"

He didn't stay to hear what she had to say; instead he rushed off towards the double doors that allowed the student's access into the school. He rushed down the halls, shouting her name as he skidded past the toilets. It was just then she emerged, her hair cascading around her shoulders, her bodycon silver dress, like Tess' flicking across the floor, her heels clicking across the floor as she strode up to him.

"Leave me alone Robbie." She said sadly, "I don't want to speak to you."

He caught up to her easily this time as she tried to rush away, "This is important!"

"I don't know what to say to you anymore! Last night you basically told me that we were no longer friends, what do you want from me!" she demanded, before sighing in annoyance, "I have to get back, Liam will be waiting for me."

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about!" he pulled her back.

But she wasn't listening, instead she rejoined Tori, who had just walked out of the bathroom and entered back into the prome with her. He swore under his breath as he placed his phone to his ear, she answered on the first ring, her voice muffled by the sound of screaming students in the background.

"I found her!" he shouted down the phone, "She won't listen to me!"

Then Tess bounded around the corner, her cheeks flushed from running, her heels in her free hand as she scowled at him, "Then try harder!" she demanded, the phone still placed at her ear.

"""""""""""""""""""

They re-joined the group, Robbie's hand wrapped tightly around Tess' as they battled once more with the inebriated students who were dancing like their lives depended on it. Somewhere along the way, Tess was forced away from Robbie. But he couldn't let that slow him down, he had to reach her, he had to ask her now.

Before it was too late.

"Cat!" he screeched, spotting her sparkling silver dress and red hair by the ballot table, "Stay there!"

He was pleasantly surprise by the fact that she did stay where she was, even if she was tapping her foot impatiently whilst shooting him the sourest of looks she could manage. It was just as he reached he that Tori mounted the small stage, grinning widely at the students and waving as she strode over to the microphone.

"What Robbie!" she demanded, "Make it quick."

"I need to know." He told her breathlessly, "Liam, has he ever asked you to do anything inappropriate?"

"What?" Cat demanded bewildered, "Why are you so interested?"

"Just answer the question!" Robbie demanded, grabbing her shoulder, "Please Cat. I still care about you, I will always care about you, so I need you to tell me. Has he ever asked you to take a… _exposing_ photograph?"

Cat slapped him, his cheek searing in pain as she shoved him away, "How dare you!" she screeched, "You are disgusting Robbie Shapiro, making up lies like that!"

If only Robbie had realised his mistake earlier, if only both of them had realised their mistakes earlier they could have been saved from this moment. This cruel moment that Robbie will never be able to forget, because he could have stopped it, if only he had been paying attention.

Somehow he had managed to miss them call out her name, his mind so focuses on Cat, that he missed her refused to go up on the stage, the photograph used as her school ID projected behind Tori Vega, as she half-heartedly clapped for the newly crowned Prome Queen. As Cat's hand clawed at his face, they both had missed the crown be placed on her head as she desperately tried to find him, to save her from the crowd that was staring at her, the snaps of photos were all too much for her to handle.

It was a mass wave pandemonium, in one moment, the chirp, ring, and buzz of every student's phone alerted them to a text message, one which they all opened while she was left, bewildered on the stage. Cat gasped horrified at the image of her phone, then stared up at Robbie, her eyes slick with tears, and for one horribly petrifying, sinking moment, he thought she had lied to him once again.

Then the image being projected on the stage changed and everyone gasped in shock, some laughing nervously and pointing in disgust. Robbie felt his heart snap in two as he heard her stream in horror, before sinking to the ground as every student in the school gazed at the photo behind her, captioned with her name.

Robbie had made the wrong decision; he was so concerned with Cat that he had missed the person who was truly in danger. Cat eyes flicked from Robbie to Tess, her mouth opening and closing uselessly as her mind tried to quickly connect the dots.

He had already left her, the student's creating a space for him to shoot through as he rushed over to the stage and picked her crumpled form up easily. As he tried to lift her she screeched and moved back, "It's okay Tess!" Robbie said soothingly, "It's me. Just keep your eyes closed"

She allowed him to lift her up, her eyes squeezed shut she hid her head away from the crowd.

Robbie stared in disgust at every single student in the school, "You should all be ashamed." He shouted at them, as he carried Tess out of the prome, she was shaking furiously in his arms, muttering under her breath as he pushed through the crowd.

He noticed Liam as he was about to exit, standing at the corner, feigning shock as he made his way over to Cat. He was about to set Tess down, ready to throw whatever rules he had about violence away, because this boy seemed to have no remorse for his action, he was completely soulless and cold-hearted. But he was beat to it, she smiled at him as she brought her fist up to his face, punching him square across the jaw. He grimaced as she squealed in pain.

"You sicken me!" Cat screamed at him, hot tears trailing down her cheeks as she turned to Robbie, "I'm so sorry Robbie!" she shouted after him, but he didn't look back, he couldn't bear to look at anyone but Tess.

As soon as they exited Robbie sat he down outside on the ground, so she could lean on the cold wall of Hollywood Arts. Sitting down beside her, he pulled her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry." He mumbled, "I'm so sorry."

Then he heard the worst noise in the entire world, for the first time in what could have been years. Tess began to cry, her shrieks of absolute defeat wracked her body as she shook in Robbie's tight embrace. Robbie felt a tear trickle out of his eyes, he was so angry with himself for not trusting his instincts. Yesterday, Liam had known who she was, known what she was trying to do with Robbie, and he had gotten possibly the worst revenge possible on her. He was reminding her that she would never be able to run from her past, she could try to change herself. But at the end of the day, he would always know what she had done, and know everyone else would know it too.

"I loved him." She howled, her voice husky and tired as she wept. "He's-" she was gulping for breath now, mascara running down her cheeks and onto Robbie's shirt, "I'm ruined."

Robbie shushed her, "Tess it's okay." He said hoarsely, "We can get through this. I'm not leaving you, I'm going to stay here with you."

He had completely destroyed her.

* * *

**Hey hey hey hey hey!**

**Do you actually know how much I love every single one of you? I don't think you do, you all have such a deep understanding of this story that it just makes me so so happy! I adore all of your reviews, I love reading how you are all piecing it together!**

**So thank you sosososo much for continuing to read it.**

**I know, I know, Cabbie… there is no cabbie yet! **

**BUT did you not love the drama anyway?!**

**So many revelations in one Prome, oh it was so good to write! **

**Also creative victorious awards! Congrats Flamekat on being nominated! Want some friendly competition? ;) Seriously would mean the world to me if anyone fancied maybe nominating me... maybe strange occurances for best AU or my Cabbie set in england :P, or any of my cabbie stories, (maybe this one ;) ) for best Cabbie.**

**Please... No? Okay, I'll just go be sad in the corner :P**

**I PROMISE SO MUCH CAT DEVELOPMENT IF YOU DO!**

**You all thought it was going to be Cat that would crumple… nope nope nope. Much sadder if it's the stronger character in my opinion.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

He never thought he would be sitting here, his head in his hands. The night had already taken a horrible turn when that disgusting trick had been played on Tess. It wasn't suppose to end like this, he couldn't let this be the end. No one told him anything, but they didn't understand how it happened, they weren't there. All around him people where making assumptions about her, lies that couldn't have been more false.

He thought he was going to vomit at the very thought of it all.

As Robbie rocked her back and forth previously at the prome, something had clicked inside of Tess, an intense rage that she had buried deep inside of her for so long had finally reared it hideous head. She ripped herself from Robbie grasp, screaming out in agnoy as chucked away her expensive high heels.

"This was a mistake!" she wailed as she glared at Robbie, "I knew I shouldn't have come."

"Wait!" he said, grabbing her arm as she tried to leave.

"Leave me alone!" she screeched, her eyes puffy and red from crying, "I don't need anyone! I was better off by myself!"

Then she tore off into the night, Robbie tried to chase after her, but like a thief in the night, Tess had this amazing talent of being able to sink into the shadows. Robbie roughly rubbed away the tears that had escaped from his eyes, as he rushed back to his car. That when she came rushing out of the Prome, one hand grasping the fine material of her dress as she chased him down.

"Robbie" she gasped when she spotted him, "Look I –"

"Not now Cat!" he yelled, as he angrily kicked the front wheel of his car, "Do you see it now!?" he asked her furiously, "Do you see what he is capable of!"

"I know!" she said, tears pouring down her face, "I am so sorry, I should have listened! I should have known that if you didn't like him then there was something wrong, and now – Robbie how did this happen?"

"Get in the car Cat!" he ordered, his voice dangerously low, "I'll explain while you help me find her."

She didn't question his authority, without a second thought she jumped into the passenger side as he slammed the car door and started the engine. As they left Hollywood Arts, Cat silently weeping as REM's _"Redhead Walking"_ played on the radio. Robbie switched it over angrily as the chorus filled the car.

"How did he have that photo?"

Her voice was so small, barely above a squeak that it took Robbie a moment to decipher what it was she had asked.

"Tell me the truth Cat." Robbie asked once again, "because this is serious. Did he take a photo of you?"

It took a moment before she shook her head, "He wanted to." She admitted remorsefully, her head dipped in shame as tear stained her expensive dress, "I didn't know what else to do, so I let him do the other thing he wanted to do."

Robbie nodded slightly as he pressed his lips together tightly, understanding what she meant, "Well… that's something I suppose."

"He hated you." She confessed, the truth seemed to pour out of her now as they drove further away from the school, "He loathed when I mentioned you, or when I said that I wanted to visit you and I- I wanted to speak to you more! But you were so busy with Tess that –"

"Don't say her name." Robbie snapped, causing her to flinch, "You have no idea Cat. Tess is an amazing person, she has more strength than anyone I have ever met and look what _your boyfriend_ has reduced her to. Again."

"I didn't –" Cat tried to say.

"No you didn't!" Robbie said heatedly, "But you never think Cat! You need to realise that your actions have repercussion!"

"I'm sorry!" she wailed, "I don't know what else to say!"

Robbie sighed heavily, as he peered out the window in search of a lost girl in a midnight blue dress, "There is nothing else you can say Cat, and that's the problem."

"Liam knew her didn't he?" Cat concluded, "Please tell me how Robbie."

"Tess and Liam used to attend the same school, before they transferred to Hollywood Arts. Tess was madly in love with him, and she was foolish, she made a mistake. He took everything away from her Cat, her friends, her innocence, her reputation. He made that photo public, he drove her out of school and she was forced to start again. When I told her who you were dating she made it her personal mission to help you, because that is the kind of person she is. She was so unwilling to let the same thing that happened to her ruin your life. So we pretended to date, in a pitiful attempt to make you jealous."

Cat expression was appalled, she clenched her stomach as if someone had punched her in the stomach and whimpered, "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, "Why did you let me continue to date him if you knew this?!"

"It wasn't my secret to tell!" Robbie said defensively, "She has been through so much, she has no one Cat. For weeks I have been trying to get Tess to open up to me, and I was making progress. I got her to leave her comfort zone; she actually agreed to come to this stupid fucking prome with me! Now look at us, he did it all to show her he is still in control! Now she is out their lost and alone!"

She squeaked in discomfort at his swearing, "Do you love her?"

Robbie slammed the breaks down, causing the car behind to blare his horn at him, Robbie flashed his lights apologetically at him and pulled the car over. Cat was tugging at her hair, as she stared up at him, her bottom lip wobbling.

"I do love her." Robbie told her, "But not in that way. We are practically the same person, she listened to me, didn't judge me like other people would have when I told her about my illness, and she didn't even give me pity. She is a great person. But no, I'm not in love with her Cat."

"She is a better friend than me." Cat whispered, "She deserved better."

Robbie didn't disagree as he took the keys out of the ignition and exhaled noisily, "Come on. We are walking from here."

Cat slipped out of the car and they walked in silence in the dark through Tess' horrible street. She had been missing for an hour, and Robbie was becoming increasingly worried. Cat shivered beside him as they walked side by side, she rubbed her arms to create some warmth. Robbie shook off his jacket and handed it to her wordlessly. She mumbled a thank you as she pulled her small arms through the jacket and began to roll up the sleeves.

"She lives here?" Cat asked nervously, as she glanced around at the graffiti and the broken houses.

"She lives alone." He said sadly.

"What about her family?" Cat questioned in shock, "Where are they?"

"I don't know Cat." Robbie muttered solemnly, "She wouldn't tell me."

Cat slapped him on the arm before pointing up, "Robbie there!"

Glancing up, her spotted the her seated on the edge of her window still, drinking from the neck of a wine bottle, she grimaced after the slurp, sticking her tongue out in disgust at the putrid taste. They rushed over to the fire escape, Robbie shouting her name as they crossed the street.

"Go away!" she wailed, "I don't need you Robbie."

"Tess what are doing?!" Robbie said tentatively, "Just put the bottle down!"

"It's not a new discovery Robbie!" she slurred, "It's called drowning your sorrows! People do it all the time!"

Robbie placed on foot on the railing, the fixture groaning furiously under that small amount of weight. His moved it off slowly, placing his arm in front of Cat he mumbled to her, "Move away."

"Tess I'm so sorry!" Cat called up to her, "Please just let Robbie help you."

Tess scoffed as she rose and leaned over the fire escape, "How many times do I have to repeat this to you two! I was fine before you two disrupted everything! I should have ignored you the day we met Robbie, I shouldn't have shared my burden because it was exactly that: _my_ burden. Now it's ruined, what am I going to do now, everyone at school has seen it!"

The fixture moaned ominously, as she leaned over the railing, droplets of red wine splashing the ground as she did so.

"Tess!" Robbie called up desperately, "Be careful! It's not safe!"

She laughed wickedly as she wobbled slightly, "How does it feel Cat?"

"What?" Cat asked nervously.

"Knowing that he didn't even care about you." She spat at her, "I can tell you, it feels like someone has injected you straight in the heart and is painfully prising out everything you thought you knew about love and relationships. You know when he sent that picture the first time, he laughed directly in my face about it. He even made a joke about how I was the worst, "lay that he has ever had". I allowed him to use me and look where it got me, repeating it all over again. I feel like I'm fifteen again."

"Fifteen." Cat said in disgust, "But you were."

"A freshman." Tess spat out, "Yeah Cat, barely out of middle school."

"Tess stop!" Robbie ordered, his eyes fixed on the dangerously loose bolts that attached the fire escape to the building, "Just come down, you can come home with me. We'll ring the police, I'm sure the school already know about this, I can help you!"

Tears gushed out of her eyes at rapid speed as she stared down at her only friend, who was helplessly trying his best to make up for the horrible ordeal she had just went through.

"How Robbie?" Tess asked pitifully, "It's all my fault. I don't deserve help; I deserve to be on my own, my family where right just to leave me in this horrible house in this disgusting neighbourhood. I'm toxic Robbie, you should just leave me. No one would miss me anyway."

Robbie shook his head, "No Tess! I need you." He said with a sort of desperate laugh, "Who will taunt me when I am being an idiot. Who is going to guide me when I lose my way. Fuck everyone else! I bet you half of those students have secrets they are petrified anyone would find out, they are no better than you and fuck your family! They are idiots, you don't need them anymore. You aren't alone this time, it will be different, you run away again and I'll chase after you. That's just how it is."

She hiccoughed, "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm your family now." Robbie said simply with a shrug, "Simple as that."

Then she smiled, a true smile that was so heart-warming it made Robbie's heart swell as she set the bottle down and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Running a hand through her hair she nodded her head.

"Together?" she asked.

"Always." Robbie said with a smile, "Just slowly go back to your window and leave through the front door."

With a deep breath, she took a shaky step back, the fixture rumbled, the structure was just too old, and she had pushed it to the limit over the years. Cat screamed pierced the silent night as the structure was forced from the wall. Tess shouted his name as she failed to reach her window in time. Robbie wailed a series of "no's" as he grabbed Cat as pulled her away. They toppled to the ground as Tess fell with the structure as it crashed to the ground with a deafening blow. They felt the ground shake, they lights of several disturbs neighbours flicked on to see what the ruckus was about. Robbie was the first one of his feet, barking at Cat to call an ambulance as he screamed Tess' name and tore through the mental, in search of her body.

The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, indicating that it wouldn't be too long until she received the help she so desperately needed. Cat ran around the corner, he could hear her retching as the adrenaline pumped around his body. But he didn't go to check on Cat, he had to stop trying to put her first. Tess needed him more than he could have ever predicted, for someone who appeared so strong, she was just as terrified and weak as Cat. As he lifted away the metal sheet and gasped. Tess was in a bad way; her leg was twisted at a horrific angel, blood oozing out of her. He didn't dare touch her, knowing that he may only make it worse.

So he just sat beside her body, helplessly thumping his head against the wall as the guilt washed over him.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

He was the only person in the waiting area, he was the only person that cared enough about her to stay. Robbie had travelled with her in ambulance, where her heart had momentarily stopped, the monotonous buzz that indicated the stillness of her once beating heart, made his own plummet his ribcage desperately as he screamed at them to do something. They saved her, but the looks that the paramedics told Robbie all that he needed to know.

They didn't think she was going to make it.

They wouldn't tell him anything because he wasn't immediate family, but he heard them whisper about her. They thought she was a suicide attempt. No one would believe Robbie as he explained that the circumstances of tonight had no factor with her fall, it was a tragic accident that never should have happened.

As it turns out, Tess was wrong when she presumed that Robbie had a hero-complex, because as he sat here in the horrible sterilized smelling and stiff seats in the waiting area… he felt like a complete failure. He had failed to get Liam away from Cat in time, he had failed to stop him from exposing Tess again… and ultimately, he had failed Tess when it mattered the most, he couldn't save her in time.

He may appear to be strong, but on the inside Robbie was still the weak boy that he had always been. He had been a fool to think differently.

He glanced up to see Cat walking towards him, her eyes bloodshot, her face sickly pale as she lowered herself into the chair beside him.

"Hi." She said weakly, "Is she –"

"Why are you here?" he asked weakly, "You ran away after she fell. Not that it surprised me, you always run away when you are needed the most."

"I'm not running anymore." She told him, "I'm here for you."

Seizing his hand, she gripped it tightly, the contact causing a shot of warmth to shoot around his otherwise emotionally dead body. The tables had turned, she pulled him into her body as he broke down completely. She continued to pat his back soothing, not a single tear rolled down her cheek as she did so, because this was Robbie's moment, and she refused to be selfish.

Now, it was Robbie's turn to grieve.

* * *

**Oh my Tess, my beautiful mess-up Tess! :'(**

**Who did I make sad, everyone? I made myself upset!**

**I actually cannot describe how much I love Tebbie, Robbie is such a kind soul. Even when he is angry at Cat he can't help but still show his caring side.**

**But in saying that… it is piecing together nicely isn't it? Plus I gave you a hint of what is still to come. ;)**

**Just you know to reinforce the message: please nominate me, I honestly just want to be nominated! I don't even care if I win, I would just like to see my story on the list!**

**Flamekat oh how you flatter me! I haven't read TRP yet I was saving it for Christmas break so I assure you I didn't pinch your idea! (also high-five for us having such similar wave-lengths!) But I am sure that it is as amazing as all of your other stories!**

**Anyway I love you all, Thank you for all of the reviews, they are greatly appreciated.**

**Love, Sweeney7760 **


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

At this stage in his life, Robbie Shapiro had come to the conclusion that he positively loathed the possibility of fate and the astoundingly terrible consequences that happened to anyone that he cared about. It just didn't seem at all right; there was no way on this earth that she deserved this. How was it that Tess Green; the strongest, smartest, wittiest person he had ever had the pleasure of meeting and eventually befriending- how could it have all concluded with her ending up in a hospital bed.

It was repulsive; it made his stomach churn just thinking about it as he paced around the hospital waiting room. She had already been through so much in her seventeen years of life, just one night ago Robbie was celebrating her birthday with her, she had smiled, pretended to enjoy the meal that he had cooked for her… who would have thought that in just the next day, she would be fighting for survival.

Occasionally Robbie would glance over at Cat Valentine as he paced the room, the petite little redheaded was currently curled up in a ball on one of the chairs, her eyes shut as her stomach rising and falling steadily. He considered shaking her awake, forcing her awake, if even for a moment… just so he had someone to share this burden with.

But as Tess had told them last night, burdens where just that:it was his own burden that he would always wonder about for the rest of his existence. What if he had just been quicker, if he hadn't let her run away from him, if he had noticed her step onto that stage in the first place? The instance you decide to take one path instead of another; that is when destiny is made.

"Robbie Shapiro"

He was rushing down the hall before they even given him an indication where to go, blood pounding around his ears as he skidded down the hallway in search of his friend. The nurse caught up to him, cheeks rosy from jogging, as she pointed him to the room at the end of the corridor. Relief coursed through him as he opened the door and heard the reassuring beep of the monitor, indicating that her heart had not given up fight for life, at least… not yet anyway. As he approached her, with every painful step he took, his heart began to sink a little more.

To say she was in a bad way was an understatement of epic proportion. Tubes prodded her skin, sending various amounts of potent medicine swimming through her veins. Her blonde hair was matted with dry blood. Her skin was marked, tattooed black, purple, blue, green, yellow- a complete canvas of colour that reminded Robbie of Tess' rooftop masterpiece. The way the colours swirled together, the intricate shapes the impact of slamming onto the concrete had caused. He took her hand, gripping it tightly as he collapsed on to the chair beside her bed. It was as if Tess had predicted this moment, the sheer thought of that made his heart throb in pain.

Once again, he felt completely useless as he rubbed his thumb back and forth on the back of her unresponsive hand. He had been foolish to think he could have saved her, how could he when he was just as destructive as her.

"Robbie."

She entered the room sheepishly, lurking by the wall instead of coming over to her bedside, her eyes wide and staring at the girl in the bed. Robbie ignored her; instead he chose to stare at the flickering of Tess' heart monitor.

"Maybe I should take you home." Cat suggested nervously, "You need to sleep."

"I don't need sleep." He snapped back, "I _need_ her to wake up; I _need_ someone to tell me anything about what is wrong with her!"

"Robbie there is nothing you can do for her." Cat told him placatingly, "If you would just-"

"No Cat!" Robbie shouted at her, "I told her I wouldn't leave her. I promised her."

With a sigh, Cat hitched up her dressed and placed herself on the chair opposite him, on the other side of Tess' bed. Robbie cocked an eyebrow as she tentatively took the other girl's hand.

"I made a promise to you." She said simply, "I'm staying."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""

For three hours Robbie sat there, clinging on to her hand as if it was the only thing that mattered in this world. It kept him tethered, stopped him from breaking down completely. As long as Tess' hand was wrapped around his, as long as her heart monitor was still steadily beeping, it meant that there was still hope.

But seventeen years... Seventeen years, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like it was no time at all. At seventeen, Tess should have been thinking about what colleges she was going to apply to at the end of this year, what she wanted to be when she was older, or even the most mundane of things such as when was she going to get her driving license, or what horribly accurate truth was she going to lecture Robbie about today. She deserved so much more than the life fate had dealt her.

He thought about her scowl as he continued to stare at her unmoving lips, that horrible expression she always pulled at him no matter what he had said, if he had complimented her or not, it didn't matter, she would always sneer at him, her cat-like green eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Could it be that he would never see that anything to scowl again, it seemed that much more precious to him, he would give anything to see that scowl again. It was a part of her personality, her shrewd and cold personality that Robbie had miraculously warmed too.

Robbie found it difficult to imagine a life without her, because in the short time he had known her she had affected him so deeply. She understood him in a way that no one else would, in a way that he feared no one else would truly understand. If he had just been quicker, if he hadn't of let her run away at that school- he could have stopped it all.

"I'm sorry Tess."

The words felt superficial as they left his lips, because sorry wasn't good enough. Sorry wouldn't change what had happened to her.

Then it happened and he was powerless to stop it. Her grip on his hand tightened, only for an instance, but the power of the action shot up his arm in so quickly it was like frost bite. He screamed out, knowing what was next. Cat was by his side, trying to pull him out of the room, but he couldn't leave her, he couldn't break the bound between them.

"Robbie!"

Then he was forced from the room by two nurses, Tess' hand falling from his, landing softly on the bed, her palm open, fingers unmoving. Robbie continued to cry out for her, slamming his hand on the door as Cat continued to screech at him to move away from the door and let them do their job. But he knew already, he could feel it, it was as if a segment of his heart had been frozen over and no matter how much he tried, it would never thaw.

They only confirmed it for him, with the simple, solemn shake of their heads as they exited the room. Cat's hand flew to her mouth as she turned to Robbie. Unsure of what to say, how to react or how to comfort him, because in reality she knew that anything she could do or say wouldn't be enough...

It wouldn't bring back his best friend.

"I'm sorry Robbie."

He didn't register it, his eyes fixed on the hospital room with the open door. Inside that room was a girl who meant more to him than anyone would ever understand, and now she was gone. Never again would Robbie see that scowl, never again would he smell the toxic smoke from her cigarettes that she would deliberately blow in his face, just to see him squirm.

"I don't know what to say."

Cat skirted once again at the edge of the room as she bite her lip feverishly to stop the tears that where threatening to make a reappearance.

"There is nothing you can say." Robbie told her monstrously, before he dipped his head down and brushed his lips against Tess' cooling forehead.

"I am so sorry Tess." he mumbled, "I wanted to be enough for you, I wanted more than anything to save you... But I just couldn't- I just - what am I going to do without you!" his voice was becoming more tense and hoarse by the second, "who is going to help me now?!"

"I want to help." She told him, "Just tell me how."

He left the room, unable to stand it anymore, his eyes welling over from grief as he strode down the hall, with Cat quick on his tail.

"Robbie please!" she grasped his arm and tugged him around to face her ,"let me help!"

"Leave me alone Cat!" he bellowed at her, "You can help by leaving me alone."

Prising himself from her embrace, he turned his back on her and rushed out of the hospital, his heart stinging with every rapid pound. He felt alone in the world once again, as if everything he thought he had known had crumbled once more.

In life and death, Tess Green was perfectly imperfect, and that was how she was destined to remain forever.

* * *

**Okay I am back, and just when you thought I was going to give you Cabbie I rip it away because I am nothing if not a tease!**

**But I hope you all see the angle that I am going for and you don't even know how much I struggled with this, because she was so much fun to write, and she was just so... argh! **

**But anyway, moment of silence for the fallen! :P**

**Much love everyone! **

**Let me all now what you think is going to happen!**

**xoxxo**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Is it possible to really ever say goodbye to someone?

Every day that word is thrown around so aimlessly, it is uttered so often that the word has lost its meaning. But for Robbie Shapiro, as he stood of the grave of his late best friend, he thought about his final goodbye to Tess Green. She was a train-wreck, snarky, rude and a little aggressive and he wouldn't have changed that, not for one second. He would never regret the decision to chase after her when he spotted her in school, he was honoured to call her a friend… but he wasn't ready to say goodbye to her.

There was finality to saying goodbye to her now, it would be the end of their friendship… and Robbie would cling on to that for as long as he could, because he had so many unanswered questions about her.

Who were her family? The people who brought her into this cruel world? Those who didn't even claim her body, they left it up to him, her only friend. He was the one to pay the expenses, the one who had to pick out what she was going to wear, what colour the flowers would be, what her gravestone would look like. He had randomly selected everything from pictures that Maddie had shoved under his nose. The sad truth was he had no idea what Tess would have preferred, he knew so little about her life.

Clutching the small wooden box in his hand he unclasped it for the fifteenth time to ensure the objects were still there. It only seemed fitting that he placed something in the grave, after all he and his family were the only ones in attendance. His fingers trailed over one of her paintbrushes, her lighter, a packet of cigarettes and the only photo of them in existence; the one Jade West had snapped of them eating lunch at the Asphalt Café.

She smiled in this photo, even if for only for show, it gave Robbie a glimpse to what she may have been like, if she had never met Liam Stanson.

Snapping the box shut, he tossed into the still open grave then stepped away into his sister's waiting embrace. He couldn't close his eyes, because every time he did, he saw her falling, her dress pooling around her like wings. He would forever be trapped in that moment, unable to say goodbye to it, unable to forget, because to him, it was his fault that Tess fell. She would have been the only one to convince him otherwise and now she was gone, her lips would never move again. She would never be able to tell him otherwise.

So he kept them open, watching as the groundskeeper began to fill the grave.

"Come on Robbie." Maddie said softly, "It's time to go."

"You go on." He told her, "I'm not ready."

Words seemed useless as she nodded mutely, understanding where her baby brother was coming from. Realising her hand from his she turned and walk towards her car, glancing back only once to catch a glimpse of her brother sitting one of the benches closest to his friend's final resting place.

"""""""""""""""""""

For hours Robbie sat there, watching intently as they continued to slam and plow soil onto his best friend. It was beginning to set in, that this wasn't some kind of twisted and cruel prank being pulled on him. When he went to work, Tess wouldn't be there, secretly shoving sushi rolls into her mouth when their manager wasn't looking. When he went to school, he wouldn't be able to go up to the rooftop and help her with her collage. When he was at home, she wouldn't just be one phonecall away.

She was gone forever.

"Hello."

He hadn't even noticed her taking a seat beside him; he was so transfixed with the simple and bare grave that covered Tess Green. Maybe for the first time in her whole life, Cat Valentine was covered head to toe in black; a black hat covered her red hair to protect her earnest brown eyes from the harsh glare of the sun.

"Hey." He replied gruffly, not meeting her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

She sighed deeply, "You didn't answer my calls or messages… or your front door when I banged on it a million times."

"Clearly you can't take a hint." He muttered under his breath as he stood up and walked away.

"Wait!" she called after him as she bounced to her feet, "I want to pay my respect."

"Why?" he said coldly, "It's not like you respected her when she was alive."

"That's not fair!" she snapped back, her voice wobbling slightly, "I was there too Robbie."

He halted and turned around, striding back over to her grave stone with purpose, "Look Cat!" he pointed at the gravestone, "This is what happens when I am with you! I place so much emphasis and my time on you, on protecting you… that in the end I couldn't save you both."

"That's not fair." She whispered, "This isn't my fault."

"I know that Cat!" he hissed at her, "Don't you see, it's my fault! I could have saved her, I made the wrong choice."

She rushed over to him, placing a hand on his cheek, "Robbie you can't believe that. She loved you, she wouldn't-"

"You don't know anything about her." With a deep sigh, he pulled her hand away and held it for a moment, "I need you to leave me alone Cat… It's for the best."

She shook her head as he turned away, "I made a promise to you! I can't let you leave; you're my best friend Robbie!"

"Give it a rest Cat!" Robbie snapped back at her, "We are nothing to each other anymore; you destroyed that the moment you allowed Liam into your life."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

As she stood there, watching as the boy she thought she knew stride off towards the rickety and rusted gates of the cemetery, she wondered just how it had all bubbled over to this. She yelped when she realised she was standing _on top_ of Tess. Even in death, Cat could still feel her overwhelming presence; Tess' final jeers at her still rang in her ears cruelly as she placed the bouquet of roses onto her grave.

"Help me." She pleaded to the girl, "You helped Robbie, so please Tess… please help me."

She knew it was foolish to ask her for advice, but she felt so helpless. She had never been in this position before, she had never put someone needs above her own. It was selfish, she knew that, but there was a responsibility that came to it that she didn't feel ready to take on. Being responsible for someone besides yourself meant growing up, and Cat wasn't sure she was up for that challenge.

It had been five days since the incident, five days since Liam had been remanded for soliciting an exposing photograph to a hoard of underage teenagers. But that brought neither Cat or Robbie any solace. She had allowed him to into her life, in possibly the most intimate way possible. It made her sick even thinking about it. He had used her, just as he had used Tess. She didn't doubt now that he would have asked her to take a photograph again, or maybe he would have forced her to… it's not as if he hadn't emotionally blackmailed her to do others things before.

She began to mindlessly walk home, her head too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really register where her tiny feet where actually taking her. It wasn't until she heard the sound of breaking glass did she glance up. She yelped slightly when she realised where she was, she had subconsciously walked into Tess' estate.

But she didn't turn around and walk away, instead she willed her feet to bring her forward, even though this place made her quiver with fear. In no time at all, she was at scene once more, she almost retched when she spotted a patch of crisp and dry vomit at the corner that was once a part of her digestive system. She saw the mass of metal that was once a staircase, the dry blood where Tess had fallen, along with a strange mark on the wall opposite where Robbie had sat, mumbling to himself as he slammed his head against the wall.

Carefully, she slipped through the ample amount of police tape that covered the front door, that was left ajar and unoccupied. She climbed the squeaking and cracking staircase with caution, terrified that she would be the next to fall. She must have been crazy, she knew she was mental for entering this death-trap… but she had asked Tess for help, and she couldn't help but feel like she was leading her here, she was giving her guidance.

The apartment was as she expected; damp, dark and dreary. What she hadn't predicted was the lightness and cleanliness of Tess' room. It was eerie, to touch things that belonged to someone who had passed away, to know that their warm hands had once grabbed the drawer handles that Cat was now pulling open to investigate.

There was something here that would help her, she could feel it, there would be something her that would give Robbie the closure that he so desperately needed, but was so unwilling to search for.

She screamed out in annoyance as she turned the room upside down and found nothing. Well, she had found empty cigarette packets, and scraped drawings… but she didn't find anything that Robbie could have to hold on to, so he would never forget the effect that he had on her life. She stamped the floor in annoyance, the force of her foot slamming into the old plywood because it snapped under her feet. She scrambled back, for a moment she thought she was going to fall to the ground… but then she noticed something else.

There was something underneath the broken piece of wood.

Cat Valentine knew very little about Tess Green, but from what she had gleamed from Robbie, she was a very secretive person. So naturally it only made sense that she would keep the small red, leather-bound book with a lock on it concealed from everyone else. Leaping down she snatched the book up and rushed out of the apartment.

Ready to see what secrets Tess hadn't revealed to Robbie.

""""""""""""""""""""""

Slamming his locker shut, Robbie was unwilling to glance over at the locker that was left lying open as the janitor shovelled its contents into a black garbage bag. Paintbrushes, wrappers, books with pen drawings covering ever inch of the front and back of the books. He hitched his back further up his shoulder and strode away, refusing to look back at as he removed her patterned locker door. He almost tripped over Cat Valentine, whose legs where sprawled out on the floor, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she tried to prise a book open.

"Sorry!" she yelped, her eyes popping as she noticed who it was, "No Wait!"

Robbie ignored her; instead he strode over to the vending machine, dragging out the task of placing his money into the machine to avoid speaking to her.

She huffed as she got to her feet and rushed over to the locker emblazoned with sharp and pointed scissors. Jade West was taking a dainty sips of her coffee as she continued to tear up a piece of homework (that wasn't hers) with her favourite scissors.

"Jadey!" Cat called as she plonked herself down beside the frowning girl, "Can I borrow your scissors?"

"No." Jade responded gruffly as she continued to rip at the homework, that Cat now realised was poor Sinjin's. "You will hurt yourself." Jade concluded as she shoved them back into her bag.

"No I won't" Cat replied dignifiedly with a small pout on her face, "I'm careful!"

"Remember last time?"

"It wasn't that bad!" Cat replied grumpily, "The doctor said the cut wasn't that deep!"

Jade glowered at her in response.

"Fine!" Cat said dramatically, "Can you cut this lock then?"

Handing the little red book over to Jade, who began to examine the book closely, she watched as the raven-haired beauty began to rummage through her bag and plucked out a pair of pylers. With one quick snap the book sprang open and Cat grinned as Jade flung it back at her.

"Don't you want to know what it is?" Cat asked her.

"No." Jade replied uninterestedly.

Cat rose to rush over to Robbie and hand the book over to him, to show him that she wanted to make him happy, she would do anything to make him feel better. But instead she found herself veering towards the staircase. Taking a seat at the bottom step of the staircase, she plucked a piece of candy out of her bra as she propped the book open on her knees. Flicking through the final pages of Tess' book, she stopped as soon as she spotted her own name.

_Cat Valentine will never realise how lucky she is to have someone like Robbie in her life. I want to help him; I want him to be happy with her. But I foolishly got too invested in my plan; I let it go too far. But he will never know, because I will never tell him... I need to repress these feelings. He deserves to be happy with someone normal… well as normal as Cat Valentine can be. That's why he can never know that somewhere along the way... he made me feel something that I vowed to never allow myself to feel again-_

She snapped the book shut and hugged it tightly, her heart thumping erratically against the cold leather. They say curiosity killed the cat and that could not have been more true for the redhead at this moment as realisation swarmed over her, as painful and as sharp as a slap in the face.

How could she have been so blind. Of course Tess was in love with Robbie. Yet she had allowed him to continue about how much he had wanted to be with her, Tess had let him pursue her.… Tess had put up with what Robbie had suffered through for years with her, and it was all because Tess cared that much about his happiness.

"I heard that girl jumped because of the photo." One of the girls commented when she spotted Robbie approaching them.

"You aren't serious!" the other said with a small laugh.

The peroxide blonde nodded, "Oh yeah she was a complete head case anyway! It's not like anyone is going to miss her."

She watched, along with a large number of the other students as Robbie marched over to the girl with the fake blonde hair and snatched her books from her grip and flung them across the room.

"You don't know anything about her!" he snarled at her, "So why don't you shut the fuck up!"

"Robbie Shapiro!"

He whipped his head around to Lane standing on the threshold of his office, the door wide open, "Get in here now!"

The blonde girl snatched up her books and scoffed at Robbie who stalked into Lane's room, the door slamming shut behind them. Her friend chased after her as they neared the staircase, Cat stood up defiantly, her arms crossed as she blocked their path.

"Move you ditz!" the blonde ordered, with quick flick of her hand,

"That was cruel." Cat told her, "He was her friend."

"Oh please!" the blonde spat back, "Are you only realising it now Cat, that you love little Shapiro."

"Stop it!" Cat yelped back, her voice cracking, "You don't understand."

"Doesn't matter anyway Cat." She added cruelly before walking away, "because he loved that maniac girl, and not even you can replace her."

"They were only friends!" she bellowed back at the girl who laughed as she climbed the staircase.

"You will never be able to replace her Cat! Look at you, you can never be what he wants."

"Cat!" Jade was by her side almost instantly, "Don't listen to Lindsey, she is only trying to mess with your head."

"I- I've got to go." she mumbled as she grabbed the book and rushed away, straight out into the asphalt café.

She clambered up the staircase and onto the rooftop where it had all began, the first time she had ever seen Tess and Robbie together had been when they were escorted down from this rooftop. She gasped when she reached the top of the staircase. They had painted... this beautiful mural together. She had been a compete fool, Cat had pushed him away and allowed him to fall straight into Tess' arms. She thought about what he had told her that night as they search for Tess; that he loved Tess, but he wasn't _in_ love her... was he lying to her, did he not want to tell her the truth because he felt as if he could no longer trust her?

_"I thought I loved you Cat… But now, I just don't know anymore."_

His words pierced at her heart once more, because now she understood the true meaning behind those words... Robbie was no longer in love with her...

Because he had loved and lost Tess.

And it was all her fault.

* * *

**Hey hey hey!**

**Okayy so everyone is probably like what?! what is happening?! TEBBIE WHAT?**

**If you understand then I completely applaud you... **

**the triangle continues even in death!**

**Tess was in love with Robbie (because honestly how could she not after how nice he was to her)- but Robbie was and has only ever been in love with Cat- who is now convinced doesn't love her because he was in love with Tess...**

******Oh guest reviewer of course she had to leave something behind, she will never be fully out of this story!**

**Oh I do love confusing things to an extreme!**

**WE GOT SOME CAT PERSPECTIVE!**

**Lots of self blaming going on here, and will Cat give Robbie the notebook, because it seems a lot like she is going to keep it for herself... **

**until next time my lovelys!**

**xoxoxo**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

The pungent, floral scent of Lane's office offended his senses as he lay on the small sofa, his legs propped up on the arm of the stiff black couch as he slowly threw the stress ball up and down rhythmically. Fifteen times, fifteen times he had caught the ball as Lane continued to drone on about the importance of treating every student with respect. Robbie couldn't take this punishment seriously, the entire time Lane spoke about respect, Robbie felt his anger rise a little more, because it was just so _rich_, to speak of how each student should be treated with respect regardless of their actions.

"It's just not acceptable behaviour Robbie!" Lane berated as he paced the room, "What did Lindsey say to you. You have to tell me how she provoked you? You know our rules about bullying students."

Catching the stress ball, he closed his eyes for a second. He regretted it almost instantly, because there she was. Her body hunched over in that beautiful midnight blue dress, the crown glittering on her head in front form of that photo. That cruel, sickening photo that inevitably destroyed her.

"She's a bitch." Robbie said with no feeling, "She deserved it."

"Robert Shapiro!" Lane roared, rising from his chair, "You need to be careful! If it wasn't for your current circumstances… Well I would have to suspend you for speaking in such a manner to a member of staff!"

"What circumstances?" Robbie scoffed, "There is nothing wrong with me."

Grabbing a pen and paper Lane scribbled down a note, striding over to Robbie, Lane caught the ball mid-throw and handed him the note. Snatching it from the guidance counsellor, Robbie glared at it before crumpling it up and tossing it away in the general direction of the trashcan.

"I don't need therapy." Robbie told Lane as calmly as he could muster, "There is nothing wrong with me."

Wringing his hands together, Lane gazed at him sternly, "Robbie you almost physically assaulted another student."

"But I didn't." Robbie concluded.

"You swore at her."

"She deserved to be sworn at." He reasoned simply.

"Why?" Lane asked.

"Don't do that." Robbie replied callously, "Stop trying to find the source of my pain like a shrink! I am fine Lane."

"Robbie." Lane said calmly, "Tess wouldn't –"

He was up and out of the room before Lane could even finish his sentence. Robbie didn't want to hear what anyone thought Tess would have said, or would have done, or what she would have wanted, because no one could really know for sure.

So what the hell was the point in pretending?

Lane didn't even try to chase after him as he shot out into the Asphalt Café, heading straight over to the spiral staircase. He climbed it two steps at a time, eager to make it to the top, to collapse on the paint covered rooftop and stare aimlessly up at the clouds. If he closed his eyes for a moment, he could pretend that she was on the other side of the rooftop, smoking her third cigarette of the day, her legs dangling over the edge of the building.

She always did like to live dangerously.

He hesitated when he reached the top step, because at the very heart of the mosaic, there sat a little redhead, her head buried in a book as tears plummeted down her face. Robbie cursed under his breath as he stayed frozen to the spot. How was it that she was everywhere? For weeks she seemed to do everything in her power to avoid him, and now when he wanted to be alone. When he wanted to stay away from her... it seemed he could not escape the constant presence of Cat Valentine.

"What do you think you are doing?"

The book flew shut as she scrambled to her feet, her left hand rubbing her face in a poor attempt to conceal the tears.

"I was just reading a sad story." She said lamely, "I didn't think-"

"No surprise there." He cut in coldly, "I meant what are you doing up here?"

Cat hiccupped as she dabbed under her eyes with the end of her pink cardigan, "I just wanted to see what was up here. You were always up with Tess... It's really pretty. She was talented."

"You know what Cat." Robbie said as he turned around, "You can have this place. That's what you do, you just take everything." He shouted back to her as he pounded down the staircase.

"Please stop shutting me out!" she said as he rushed away from her, "Robbie please!"

She only made it half way down the staircase by the time he had disappeared. She slumped down on the staircase and placed her head in her hands. She couldn't handle any of this, she knew too much now, and it was all because Tess had seen Robbie clearly from the beginning, something which Cat had never been able to do. She flicked the book back to near the beginning and read it for umpteenth time.

_She doesn't understand what is plainly obvious to everyone else. She expects that poor Shapiro boy to chase after her whenever she cries, she expects him to always be there whenever she needs him. Yet she doesn't seem to realise that every time she relies on him, it takes a little more toil on his well-being. _

_I've seen it before, I've lived it before. He's hurting himself to make her happy, in the hopes that one day she will love him back. It's pathetic, and it's horribly sad... and it will never be enough._

Cat banged the book shut and stared up at the clouds, "How did you notice this and I didn't?"

As far as Cat knew, Tess and Robbie had never interacted before his return from the clinic. Yet she had noticed him before all of that, she had noted what was happening to him. She was an outsider, while Cat had been his best friend.

"Cat!"

Springing to her feet she plastered a smile onto her face and waved at the brunette who was fast approaching her, "Hi Tori!"

"Sikowitz told me to go and look for you!" she told her, "You're late for class you know."

"Oh!" she feigned shock as she skipped down the steps, "Let's go then."

Tori arched an eyebrow as she closely followed the redhead, there was something different about the way she walk, that spirit and warmth that exuded from her seemed to flicker, her smile faltered as she tapped the red leather book off the palm of her right hand.

"Cat, are you alright." Tori asked uncertainly.

"Perfect Tori." Cat replied nonchalantly, "Everything is perfect."

"""""""""""""""""""

His reflection, it was everywhere he turned. He felt as if he was trapped in a horrible house of mirrors as he headed back to his home. On the screen of his phone, in the glare of passing car windows, he saw his supposedly muscular form. It was torture; he tried to repress this feeling of complete loathing that was so familiar to him. He began to run, his bag beating off his back as he hurried home.

_One day, I decided I that because spend more time up here than I do indoors, that I was going to make it look more appeasing. So I started to paint it, and sure it may look pretty now, but at the end of the day it's still what it always was… just the roof of a building…Do you get what I'm saying?_

He was weak.

He was reminded of it when tears started to creep out of his eyes as he burst into his house. He headed straight for his room, slamming the door as soon as he entered it. He sank to the floor, leaning against the shut door.

"Shut it out." He muttered desperately, "Shut it out."

He was wrong, people never really change.

He was still the same weak boy he was three months ago. His muscles where a lie, something his mind had created to trick him into thinking otherwise, he could never really change. He was too weak to tell Cat that he had been love with her, he was too meek to save her from Liam, and he was too pathetic to rescue Tess before she fell.

His reflection glinted at him in the mirror, teasing him, taunting him… and he couldn't take it. He needed a release; he needed to feel something other than the immense guilt that consumed him. He brought his fist to the mirror. It cracked and smashed, blood splattering the glittering shards as they bounced off the soft carpet. He felt the exploding pain as he brought his broken hand away. Yet he exhaled in relief, it was what he needed, he didn't need his reflection haunting him along with Tess' memory.

"Robbie!" His sister was rapping on the door frantically, "What was that, are you okay!?"

"I'm perfect Maddie." He told her, "Everything is perfect."

* * *

**Okay so a little shortie for you all! I am a busy bee but I still wanted to give you something. **

**Hope you are enjoying the development… or rather the sad transgression of Robbie's mental health… he's aggressive, he's rude and he's really very sad :( Poor wee pet!**

**Then we have Cat… oh that child, she tries her best… she really does. But she is just so unwilling to start taking responsibility for her actions!**

**Oh Tess… she will never truly be gone will she ;)**

**Anyway guys until next time, but before I forget, once again thank you for the constant support and the deep understanding that you have for this story! This may definitely be my favourite one I have written to date!**

**BTW Silent Hopes has updated her story "A place to call home" start reading it if you haven't! Also SH I still cannot get over that we do the same course! :L **

**Much love!**

**xoxoxo**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Slumping on the cold, metal seat, Cat Valentine tried to amuse herself by quickly stirring the tart black liquid with the wooden stick, causing a small storm to brew inside the dark coffee. Taking a dainty sip, she grimaced at the strong and disgusted taste that had just exploded inside her mouth. Valentine sighed heavily as she grabbed yet another small packet of sugar and poured it into the cardboard cup. She had been dreading today, completely terrified of what she was going to do. She could feel four pairs of eyes glaring at her, she chose to once again stare down at the cup of tar, refusing to meet any of their reproachful eyes.

"Em Cat."

Tori was the first of the gang to agree the issue, tucking of tendril of her long brown hair behind her ear she glanced over to André as a means of support before continuing, "Why are you drinking coffee? We all know you don't like it."

She brought her tired brown eyes up to meet the other girl's vibrant and bright ones, "I like it now." She muttered weakly before taking a large gulp, she refused to grimace this time, despite the fact that it may actually taste worse now than before.

"You look tired." Tori noted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat demanded assertively.

"It's just that." André cut in quickly, "Lately… you haven't been yourself. You don't laugh as much, I mean you still smile… but Cat we all know you too well. There is something wrong, why can't you just tell us."

Guarded Cat glanced at each of her friends, shocked to find that they all wore the same concerned expression, even Jade had stop glaring at her to express apprehension for her oldest friend.

"I'm fine." Cat answered, "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"You mean since that girl died three weeks ago." Jade cut in, her voice as quick and as a sharp as knife slicing her skin open, "Don't think for a second we haven't noticed Cat."

"I don't know what you are talking about." She lied easily, "I didn't even know her."

"But Robbie did." Jade remarked flippantly while the group watched on in awe mixed with a little bit of apprehension, "Stop blaming yourself for his grief, it's not your fault."

"Stop it Jade!" Cat said, her voice rising an octave, "You weren't there, you don't understand."

"Then tell me." Jade said, her voice annoyingly calm, "Tell me what happened that night."

She opened her mouth to speak, but it hit her like a bought of sudden nausea. She could hear the structure crack and creak as it broke free, Tess scream that penetrated the silence of the night, Robbie crying out for her as he searched through the wreckage. The stench of vomit that travelled around her as she expelled the contents of her stomach and rushed off, her petrified heart pounded as she ran away like a coward.

So instead she grabbed her cup of coffee and rose from the table.

"You're so mean to me!" she shouted at them before flouncing away from the asphalt café.

But she knew that in reality they were right, she wasn't herself. She was exhausted, for the past three weeks she couldn't bring herself to sleep. Every single time her head collided the soft pillow on her princess bed, her mind would spark awake and Tess would consume her thoughts. It was always the same; Cat would grab her purple giraffe and the book she carried around with her. Starting at the beginning Cat would read Tess' journal, cover to cover, over and over. Until she could recite the lines, until she knew everything there was to know about Tess Green.

It was as if Cat now knew this girl better than anyone else, certainly better than she ever knew Robbie Shapiro. It saddened her greatly, to the point where she could feel her eyes welling up. For three years, Cat had convinced herself that she knew everything about Robbie. But she was so blind, so oblivious to the real him. He was so kind, caring and gentle and so loving… she always knew that about him, but she had never realised to what how loyal he was. She had taken it all for granted, allowed herself to use and abuse him like one of her disregarded toys. Now more than anything Cat longed to talk to him, to apologise. She wanted to be there for him.

But she was a coward, terrified of being rejected once more. Beside it was hopeless; Robbie couldn't express his feeling of loathing towards her any clearer. But it was even worse than that, because no one had heard or even caught a glimpse of Robbie Shapiro for weeks. After the first few days, Cat rushed to Lane's office to see if he knew why Robbie was missing. He was vague with her, telling her only that Robbie's mother had called to say that she didn't know when Robbie would return. It was even hinted that Robbie may not conclude his senior year at Hollywood Arts.

She had never felt more powerless as she trudged off to class; the red book that she carried in her pink bag pack seemed to weigh her down as she pushed opened Sikowitz's classroom door. Immediately, Cat regretted this decision. Her exhausted eyes bulged when she spotted Lindsey Tilsey, her smooth toned legs crossed, her blonde hair showering around her heart shaped face as she feverishly tapped on her pearphone. For weeks this girl had been taunting Cat, teasing her when no one was around, and Cat continued to allow it… because she was too weak to tell her otherwise.

Sensing someone had entered the room; she glanced up, her cold blue glaring at the tiny redhead as her lips curled into a smile.

"Hello Cat." She said coldly.

"Hi." Cat said meekly before dipping her head and collapsing into her chair.

Swallowing the last of her coffee, Cat set her empty cup on the ground and proceeded to take out the journal from her bag. She flipped to the very beginning and began to read. She couldn't help herself, this book was now an addiction to her, it wasn't just the endless ramblings of a teenage girl.. it was the story of the life of a beaten and broken teenage girl. Tess had led such a fascinating life, it was very bittersweet, a life that was filled with both happiness and sadness… but Tess could never find the middle of the spectrum. Destiny had never given her the chance.

_He asked me out today, it took me completely by surprise. I spotted him in the hallway the other day, one smile... That was all it took for me to become hooked. Liam is different, I can feel it. He is unlike anyone I have ever met; speaking to him is as natural, as simple as taking a small breath. I can be myself around him, he makes me feel safe. _

The book was snatched from her; she grasped the air as she tried to snatch it back from Lindsey claws as her eyes scanned the journal.

"Give it back!" Cat demanded, her heart betting erratically with worry, "It's private!"

"Is this your dairy Cat?" Lindsey questioned, her voice amused, "What kind of sad person keeps a diary."

"Yes it's mine!" Cat lied, "Give it back!"

Lindsey held it out of her reach as Cat jumped up to reach it, "You know I think I might hold onto it. They say knowledge is power after all."

It was all too much, she ignored her friends who had just entered the room, her mind was too fixated on getting back the book. Cat pounced, her hands flying onto the girl's shoulders, nails burying into her shoulders as they toppled to the ground. Lindsey cursed as she thrashed around on the floor like a fish out of water. Using her polish, baby-pink nails, Cat clawed and ripped at the girl's pretty complexion, expelling all of her pent up anger on this girl before she was pulled away by Beck. Yet she continued to scream, her legs kicking out as she tried to break free from his tight lock.

"She is insane!" Lindsey screeched as he hand flew to her cheek. Dabbing at her face she inspected the blood that stained her fingertips, "She cut me!"

Cat stamped her foot on top of Beck, causing him to yell out in pain, his hands reflexively spring apart, allowing her to scramble over and retrieve her book that lay abandoned on the floor. She hugged it close, but she was only allowed that blissful second of relief.

"Cat Valentine and Lindsey Tilsey." Boomed the dominating and intimating voice from the classroom door of their principal Helen, "My office now."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the sudden realisation spilling over her as she rose, along with Lindsey rose to their feet. Helen waited for them to reach her, gesturing with a quick flick of her wrist to lead the way. As soon as they reached her office, Helen directed them to two plastic chairs outside the office.

"Sit." She ordered both girls, "I'll call for you in a moment."

With a small huff of breath, Lindsey plonked herself on to the chair, her hand still covering the cut. Nervously, Cat sat at the very edge of the seat, her legs jittering wildly, partly from the nerves… but mostly from all of the coffee she had consumed in the past few days.

"If I need stitches." Lindsey hissed darkly, "You are so dead Valentine."

"You shouldn't have tried to take away my book then." Cat mumbled sadly, "I told you last week to leave me alone."

Lindsey exhaled loudly from her nose and smirked, "Why would I do that, when you are such an easy target, so weak and vulnerable… so afraid to say what you really feel."

"Why are you so mean?" Cat question meekly, "Why is everyone so mean?"

"You mean Robbie don't you." Lindsey said cruelly, a glint of amusement in her eyes when she saw the redhead flinch at the very utter of his name, "So he still hasn't gotten over his junkie girlfriend?"

"She wasn't a junkie!" Cat said defensively.

Lindsey's smile widened as she pinpointed Cat's most vulnerable topic, "But still Cat… what are you compared to her. I'd have more of a chance with Shapiro than you ever would. Tess was tall, she was a blond and she wasn't as needy or as pathetic as you."

She had never been good at confrontation, it made her panic. It was always the same, her breath would begin to quicken and she wouldn't be able to control it. This would then cause her pulse to accelerate and then this would all lead to stomach churning and rolling over as if she had been thrown into a washing machine. Sometimes she would faint, other times she would vomit… but normally she would have had the comfort of a friend, her friend with the wiry and crazy curly hair that she loved to ruffle, her friend with the thick glasses and gangly frame… But he was no longer her friend… and there was no one here to comfort her. So she did what came naturally to her, she ran. Lindsey jeered her on as Cat clambered down the staircase and shot straight out the building. She knew in her heart that it was a terrible idea; she was only going to get herself into more trouble for not attending her meeting with Helen.

She stopped running when she reached the corner, taking large gulps of the fresh air; she tried to quell the vomit that was attempting to make an appearance. Her hand securely wrapped around the little red book she marched straight to the nearest coffee shop. The bell attached to the door jingle delightfully as she pushed the door open, her nostrils welcomed by the scent of brewing coffee. The space was filled with people much older than Cat. Adults with laptops all huddled around a small table as they discussed business plans.

Hurrying to the counter, she ordered her coffee then proceeded to take a seat at the table situated in the corner; it was practically concealed in the shadows. That was just what she wanted, she wanted to dissolve into the darkness, she wanted to be left alone. As she waited for the coffee, she found herself gazing down at the page of Tess' journal that she had just read at school.

"Here's your coffee."

Glancing up, Cat's eyebrow popped up as she stared at the boy before her. He was her typical type, meaning he was tall, lean and handsome. With his unruly dark hair and curious green eyes, Cat smiled at him, an idea quickly forming in her head as she curled a tendril of her red hair around her finger.

"Thanks." She said sweetly with a small smile.

The boy lingered, and Cat took that as a sign to continue the conversation, "What's your name?"

"Ben." He replied, before glancing back at the counter, "I should probably-"

"Please sit with me." Cat pleaded, "Only for a few minutes."

It didn't take much convincing for the boy to take the only available seat opposite her. He smiled shyly at her, Cat found it endearing. She wasn't good at many things, but she was an expert at flirting with boys, and she could tell that she was only moments away from getting what she wanted.

"I didn't catch your name." he commented.

"It's Cat." She told him.

He smiled warmly, "That's a pretty name. Well Cat, what are you reading then?"

"Oh it's nothing." She replied nonchalantly as she quickly flicked it shut, "You should take a break, do you want to do something fun?"

The boy laughed nervously, "Why would I take a break now?"

Cat took a small sip of her coffee, a smile playing across her lips as she rose to her feet, "Well Ben. I think we should stop with the small talk and just skip to the good bit."

Before she knew it, Cat was in the back seat of his car, feverishly kissing this boy she had just met as if her very existence depended on it. She tried to remain in this moment, she continued to kiss him in the hopes that it would happen, she even wrapped around her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer to deepen the kiss. But something was wrong; something was terribly, horribly wrong.

She didn't feel it; that burst of excitement and joy she always felt when she kissed a boy… in fact, she felt absolutely nothing towards this boy. There was nothing familiar about this feeling, she should have been enjoying herself, she had kissed enough boys to know that it was an enjoyable way to pass the time. But this was sloppy, it made her uncomfortable… it wasn't what she wanted.

She pulled him away, her hand flying to her mouth as she moved across the seat, to move as far away from him, "This isn't right."

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, "I thought this is what you wanted, you are the one who suggested it."

"I know." Cat said, her hand now rubbing her forehead, "I'm sorry, I have to go Len."

"It's Ben." He said gruffly as he watched her jump out of the car.

Then she speeded off, too embarrassed to even glance back at the coffee shop boy. She didn't understand it, she thought that would solve all of the problems she had been experiencing. She needed comfort and support, she needed someone to find her appealing, she wanted to be reminded that she was attractive, that boys did like her… that despite what Lindsey had said she was just as good as Tess.

But that felt so foreign, so wrong that it made her skin crawl the more that she dwelled on it. Pulling out her phone she checked the time and sighed heavily. She had to leave now or she would be late. But Cat still wasn't sure that she was ready to do this. But she knew that she had too, and it wasn't just for her. It was for anyone he had ever affected.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""

It took her twenty minutes, and twenty dollars in cash to reach her destination. Everything about this place intimidated her. The fact that she had to sign her name around a million times, the fact that they confiscated most of her belongings apart from the red book, that they insisted on flicking through twice to ensure that she hadn't hidden anything in it, the whole experience sent chills travelling down her arms to the very tips of her fingers.

She sat rigidly on the plastic green chairs, her arms wrapped around the book, guarding herself as she waited. The buzzer sounded, and they emerged. Cat watched as mothers jumped to their feet to embrace some of the delinquents, others where just like her, unmoving staring at the person approaching them as if they meant nothing to them.

He had the audacity to grin as he sat on the chair opposite her and crossed his arms across the table. Cat forced herself to glare at him, her eyes narrowed cautiously as she stared at Liam Stanson.

"I didn't think you would come." He admitted sheepishly, "I have been trying for the past month. It's great though, I can't tell you how happy I am to see that you have forgiven me."

"I haven't." Cat told him cagily.

"Then why are you here?" he questioned, "A part of you must still love me Cat. You can't forget all of the good times! I made a mistake, a stupid mistake... it was only meant to be a joke."

"She is dead." Cat hissed at him.

"It wasn't my fault." He told her calmly, "Come on kitty you can't blame me. I know we can get past this, I get out in a month, we can pick up where we left off."

She slammed down the book onto the table, the sound of the impact echoed around the room, even a few heads turned to stare at the couple. Liam glanced down at the book curiously, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Open it." She ordered him, "Read the page where I have left the bookmark."

His eyes scanned the page, his lips pressed together as he read the segment of Tess' journal. It only took him a matter of seconds until he snapped it shut and pushed it back to her.

"What was that about?" he asked dismissively, "That has nothing to do with you and I Cat. She was obsessed with me! She sent me that photo!"

"Did you love her?"

He shook his head, "Not as much as I love you. Please Cat, we can fix this."

Tears started to pour out of her eyes, "You sicken me." She whispered as she dabbed at her eyes, "How can you talk about her like this, how can you have no remorse? You are the cause for all of her pain. I have read and reread this journal so many times. You manipulated her like you tried to manipulate me. She loved you so much, and you destroyed her trust and you are the reason she died. Not me and certainly not Robbie. Her death will haunt you forever."

"I would never do this to you! I love you Cat, you must know that."

"You are such a fantastic liar." Cat murmured, "You never loved me. I was just the next naive girl you could exploit for your own amusement. Robbie was right about you."

He threw his hands up in annoyance, "Here we are at the centre of all of our problems! Robbie isn't good for you Cat. That boy is so fucked up in the head! You would have to be to hang out with fucking Camilla after all!"

She couldn't stop herself, leaning across the table Cat struck him across the face, "How dare you say that about Robbie, he is better than you will ever be!"

The blow immediately was like a red light to the police who was overseeing this visitation. They were beside Cat in a heartbeat, demanding that he was brought back to the detention unit and that Cat was removed from the building. She snatched her arm away from the officer and grabbed her book.

"I hope you and Shapiro are happy together!" he screamed spitefully as he was forced behind the metal door.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

She had thought that meeting would have brought them all solace, that she would have found comfort to tell Liam what she really thought about him. However, it only made her feel a million times worse about herself. He was just so convincing, he had almost made her _want_ him back, but not this Liam... the one that she thought she was going out with… the caring one, the one who would do anything to protect her. Then she had remembered that he was snake disguised as a boy, he was vile, he was without compassion and he was without love.

It didn't take long until Cat was outside the house with the familiar door. She rapped it lightly, unsure if anyone would actually answer… completely unsure what she would actually say if heaven forbid it actually was answered. She sprang back as the door burst open, the bright light from the hall spilling out on to the porch where she stood. Maddie Shapiro glared at the redhead, her smile instantly disappearing when she noticed who their visitor was.

"What now Cat." She demanded exasperatedly, "He still doesn't want to see you."

"I just want to know how he is." She told her pathetically, "Is he okay?"

Maddie shrugged, "He's shut himself away, I leave him up food but god knows if he actually eats it. He speaks to no one, he's got that stupid puppet out again. So no Cat, I don't think Robbie falls under the definition of okay."

"I want to help." Cat told her determinedly, "Just tell me how Maddie."

"You can't Cat!" Maddie said through gritted teeth, "How many times! It always starts and ends with you Cat! He is upset because you don't notice him, he hurts himself. He finally gets a friend who he can confide in, she gets hurt trying to help you. Now he is up there, deteriorating as each moment bleeds by!"

"I can fix this!" Cat pleaded, "Maddie I know I can!"

"You can't Cat." Maddie said sadly, "You can't be a part of the solution. Not if you are the problem."

Then she was left on her own in the darkness, the door of the Shapiro was closed in her face.

Indefinitely.

* * *

**What? A WHOLE CAT CHAPTER?**

**I miss my Robbie… but it had to be done.. cause Cat has a story to tell and it has to become more apparent now.**

**Did you all catch my name drop, huh huh, did yous get it?**

**She's kissing boys, she's confronted Liam, she is being bullied, she is being shouted at by Madde.. eventful Chapter for Cat to say the least! :P**

**Anyway leave me your insightful reviews that I just adore reading! Please, I stayed up late to write this for you because I love you all.. this is also a way of apologising for spelling mistakes and my lazy ending of the chapter!**

**Much love**

**xoxox**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

He was certain that it was a just a weird figment of his imagination. As he flicked back the bedsheets that he was currently hiding under, Robbie Shapiro could have sworn he heard the soft, melodious sound of sweet humming. It only lasted for a second before it was lost in the gentle breeze that was softly rattling his window. He rubbed his eyes as he got to his feet, certain now that the very fimilar humming was just his mind playing cruel tricks on him. He instantly experienced light headedness that was always followed by the low and intimidating growl of his stomach. Pressing his hand to his stomach, he remained still, waiting patiently until the pain subsided.

Grabbing pieces of furniture that dotted his room he made his way over to his bedroom door. Placing his ear on the cool wooden frame, he listened for the soft footsteps of Maddie. Sometimes she would pace outside his room, a nervous habit she has acquired over the past few weeks. But Robbie had worked out a system, one he could manipulate to perfection. When he knew no one was around, he would open his door and drag in the food Maddie had left for him. The stench of the food would instantly make his stomach pang with longing, but he would repress it, eating only a single bite to sustain him. He had to repress it; he wasn't allowed to feel sweet relief, not when he still filled with guilt. So he would hold his breath, and open his closet door. It was there that he would shake the food into his bag that was already overflowing with copious amounts of rotten food, like a moulding cornucopia. Then it was only a matter of waiting for a few moments, until enough time had passed that it would seem like he had in fact eaten the meal. Then he would leave the empty plate back on the landing.

"Robbie Shapiro!"

He groaned as he slumped back on his bed, placing his head in his hands.

"I'm fine Maddie." He said, his voice muffled from his hands, "I'm busy."

There was a crash, his eyes flew to the door, "What are you doing?!" he demanded.

"I have had it!" she screeched as she bashed against the door, "This ends now."

He rushed to his window; he wasn't ready to see her. He just was not ready to see that crippling face of disappointment that she would inevitably wear when she saw his broken form. He had made such progress, for the first time in three years he actually felt healthy and happy. But he had allowed himself to relapse back into that skinny and frail boy that he used to know. Hitching his foot out of the window he grabbed onto the nearest drainpipe, saying a silent prayer that it would hold his weight as he heaved himself out the window. Then he was airborne, it lasted only a second before the balls of his feet absorbed the impact of his feet slapping the soft green grass below him.

"Robbie!"

She was by his side as soon as he collapsed on to the dewy grass. He caught a whiff of her strawberry flavoured shampoo that she always used to wash her ruby red hair. She helped him to his feet before he shrugged her off again, unwilling to allow them to ever become close again, he deserved to be alone.

It was all too much to handle, Maddie shouting at him from his bedroom window, the girl standing in front of him clutching a red book as she stared at him with those woeful, beautiful, naïve eyes that always made his head go fuzzy. His stomach churned again and he felt as if as he had fallen, he had somehow been transported back to the first time he stood with Cat on this grass when he realised he had recognised his true feelings for her.

Without a word he detached himself from the female and ran, his knees practically knocking together as his famished form took him further and further away from two of the most important people to every make an impact on his life. He wasn't sure of his destination… but he could be certain of one thing. He didn't want to feel this pain ever again.

He wanted it to all end.

Today.

"""""""""""""""""""""

"Why didn't you stop him!"

The last person that Cat Valentine wanted to upset at this time was Robbie's sister, Maddie. The girl was manic, her normally smooth, dark hair was currently sticking out at odd ends as if she had been shocked with a cattle prod, it was frizzing and curling. Her glasses covering her bloodshot brown eyes as she dipped her head down to frantically dial a number into her phone as Cat stood there, unsure of what to do, right now the girl resembled her brother so closely that Cat didn't want to make eye contact with her, it only made the guilt that much harder to bear.

"I didn't—"

She was shushed harshly by the older girl, whose phone was glued to her ear.

"Shit!" the girl cried out as her shaking thumb whacked the end call button, "He's not picking up."

"Did you honestly expect him to?" Cat questioned innocently.

The girl glared at her darkly, "What are you even doing her, I told you yesterday that I didn't want you to come back here again."

"I didn't leave." Cat mumbled awkwardly, "I sat on the porch all night."

Maddie shook her head in disbelief, "Cat I just cannot comprehend why you do the things you do. Are you crazy? You could have gotten hyperthermia!"

"I don't care!" Cat said, her voice becoming slightly more powerful, "I just couldn't leave, I don't want to leave Robbie again."

"It's a little late Cat!" Maddie bellowed at the girl, catching the attention of one of their neighbours, "He's run off yet again!"

"I'm going to find him." She told Maddie confidently, standing up to the brunette who looked as if she was ready to throttle the young girl.

The older girl sighed heavily, as she glanced in the direction that Robbie fled in, "I'll try Nozu's and the graveyard."

Cat nodded understandingly before she turned on the very heel of her foot and bolted off, her feet slapping against the uneven pavement, her heart rattling around her chest as she headed for the only logical place she could think of, the only place that held any real meaning to Robbie, the place where it all began… and the place she dreaded where it would all end.

She skidded to a halt, her breathing ragged as she pulled out the small red book from her bag. Flicking through the worn pages she stopped at one of the final pages. Tess' confession was so touching, so sweet and so private that Cat knew that her next action would be acceptable. It would be what she would have wanted.

The shredded pieces of the page was captured in the harsh breeze and dragged away from Cat Valentine's open palm. Robbie would never know of her confession, Cat would not allow him to warp Tess' love into something toxic, not when it was so pure and beautiful. But it was time, she knew that as she rounded the corner and glanced up, her stomach thrashing at the sight of the lone figure standing at the edge of the roof, his arms extended out, eyes closed as he let the breeze ripple around his sickly thin frame.

Adrenaline coursed through her as she rushed through the Asphalt café, she slowed as soon as she reached the staircase, her pink ballet pumps carefully caressing each metal step, she was cautious to make as little noise as possible, she didn't want him to hear and panic. As she reached the top he was only a stone's throw away from her, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

"Hello Cat." He mumbled grimly.

It took her by surprise, how quickly he had sensed her, but it didn't deter her. She was shaking profusely, unable to stop herself as she took a small step towards him.

"Robbie." She said softly, "What are you doing?"

His smile was sinister as he stared at the ground below them, the wind was beginning to pick up, her red hair kept thrashing around her face, blocking her view of the estranged boy in front of her.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fall Cat?" Robbie pondered, "How she felt when it happened, one moment she was weightless then the next-"

"Don't talk like that." Cat told him, "This isn't right, she wouldn't want this Robbie."

"I made her a promise." Robbie told her, "If she hurt, I hurt. That's how it was Cat."

Cat shook her head desperately, "Robbie I'm sorry!" It came spilling out of her at once, tears sprouting in her eyes, "I am so sorry that no amount of wishing or dreaming will bring her back. She was a beautiful person. She was kind, she was caring… she was everything to you that I should have been! I should have noticed years ago that you were ill, I should have understood that what you felt towards me wasn't just friendship."

"Cat it's too late." Robbie said heavily as tears trickled down his hallow cheeks, "I'm defeated, I can't bear it anymore."

"Robbie don't you dare!" She screeched, "I need you! You don't understand how much I need you. Remember what you told Tess, if she runs you would chase after her? I feel that way about you. I wouldn't be able to cope without you! I haven't been able to. We need each other. Think about the people you would be leaving behind. Your sister is frantically searching for you as well, your mother is in pieces!" She took another step towards him, "This doesn't have to be the end. I'm here for you."

He scoffed loudly, "What about when the next boy comes along Cat? What about when you get bored of me?"

"I understand now." Cat reassured him, "Why I always carried that note around with me, why I was so reluctant to speak to you when you returned."

She had caught his attention once more, he shifted slightly, his body angled towards her now, "Why?"

She smiled fondly, "That boy, the one with the gangly frame, the one with the curly hair and the thick glasses that I met on our first day of school. You looked nothing like him when you came back, it was an eye opener for me, I finally realised that I had lost him and I couldn't bear it. Deep down, I think I always knew that I loved that boy. He was so caring, so kind and sweet."

She paused when she saw him stiffen on the stop, giving him only a moment to process her words before she bravely continued, "I tried to replace him." She laughed breathily at the mere thought of it, "Only I found the exact opposite every single time. I took advantage of you. Robbie I know I get scared, I know I run away from my problems. But now I am going to try to be more responsible."

"That boy was a loser."

She took a final step towards him, "That boy was perfect." Cat told him sternly before she dabbed away the tears from her cheeks, "Only I realised it too late."

"But Tess."

She held out the red book in front of him, "I went back to her house. I wanted you to have something to remember her by. This is her story Robbie and I'll happily give it to you. As long as you step away from the edge."

"You kept it from me?" he questioned, "How could you?!"

"The timing was never right." She told him calmly, "I now know I was saving it for this moment. Make the right choice Robbie."

She extended her hand, the cold air nipping at her fingertips as she stared up at Robbie hopefully. The same thought was lopping around her head; he was going to make the right decision. This wouldn't be an awful repeat of Prome night. Robbie was stronger than this, he just needed to be reminded of it.

It was a final moment of clarity, for both of the teenagers, as Robbie Shapiro accepted Caterina Valentine's helping hand. They needed each other, sure they were pretty destructive, they crashed and collided against many things. But this moment was definitive; it gave Robbie hope that Cat Valentine wasn't as fickle as she had appeared so many times before. He always knew that she was intelligent, others had signed her off as an airhead, but he knew that when the time was right, she would outshine even the smartest of people.

She pulled him onto the surface of the roof, determined to get him off his feet. She pulled him into an embrace, she didn't want to break the seal between them, fear still crippling her body as he broke down in her arms.

"I need help." Robbie whispered as he shook against her tight grip.

She brought her lips to his forehead, "I know Robbie." She murmured, "But we are going to get you through this."

"Together?" he questioned.

She smiled warmly, her response was simple. But it was the only word that he needed to hear.

"Always."

* * *

**Jeeez. Yes hello, good day, Happy New Year.**

**So much to say and yet I am certain none of you want to hear about it. Been verrrry busy, so I am so so sorry about the lack of updates. I hope this is enough to tide you all over!**

**Anyway thank you all for the support and the reviews and the love.. it is greatly appreciated so do not think for a second that it goes unnoticed!**

**You should probably all thank tassiearianator for this chapter.. it was her constant reviews that urged me to write this chapter!**

**Much love!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

People often forget just how incomprehensible life is to others. What may so simple and mundane to one person, may be a personal battle to another, one that they are slowly losing. Cat Valentine realised that now, all those times she had hidden behind a smile when she felt like screaming out in anger or crying from fear… But even she didn't understand this situation as clearly as the boy opposite her.

The room was small but pleasant, the soft sunlight filled the room through the large window, bouncing off the soft cream walls that were decorated with obscure, odd paintings that were interesting to gaze at. The bed cover was a soft mint green colour, but the sheets where scratchy against her bare thigh. But it barely bothered her, she was happy to sit on this uncomfortable bed, because finally, after three weeks of waiting, Robbie Shapiro had finally allowed someone to enter the clinic to visit him.

It was so vivid; it still plagued her mind constantly. It wouldn't matter where she was or who she was with. That day consumed her thoughts. Robbie heart wrenching sobs as Cat cradled him like a child. He was scared, he begged her to not make the call, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he would have to face the reality of his actions. She almost chucked her phone away, wanting so much to remain in Tess' sanctuary with him, but she knew that this was the way it had to be. She didn't know how much time had passed, it could have been hours, or it could have been mere minutes when Maddie Shapiro clambered up the staircase, a pair of paramedics not far behind her. Tears continued to fall from her face as she collapsed beside the couple, her bloodshot eyes darting between the pair.

Her hand was torn from Robbie as the paramedics lifted him to his feet; a blanket was quickly wrapped around him as they guided him from the roof. The effect was instantaneously; her once warm hand cooled instantly, fingers outstretched uselessly as he was taken away from her. She missed it, the warmth of his touch, the reassurance that he blood still flowed through his veins, that it still heated his broken body. But she had to let him go, for the time being at least.

Her sudden loss was quickly recovered by a new hand, one that gave own hand a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you."

It was barely above a whisper, but Cat could still feel the sheer sincerity of Maddie Shapiro's words. She gave the older girl a small smile as she broke their connection. Cat picked up the red book, and with a heavy smile she handed it to the older girl.

"Give this to Robbie."

Maddie nodded before she bolted from the roof, Cat could hear her feet clambering against the metal staircase as she chased after her brother. She watched from the edge of the roof top as the Robbie was placed in the back of the ambulance and taken away from this horrible scene.

She was surprised when she received the call, shocked that he had asked for her over his sister or mother. It was a shock, but that didn't mean it wasn't a welcome one. Cat had visited the Hollywood Mental Health ward more times than she would like to admit. She hated the negative connotations that surrounded this place, the way the mentally ill were regarded by society. At some point in everyone's life they must seek the help from others.

Asking for help doesn't make you weak. It takes courage to admit when you have a problem, and it is that small, but meaningful fact that people often overlook.

Robbie didn't smile, didn't acknowledge her presence when she was allowed into the room, he continued to pulled at the loose thread on his grey sweatshirt, his knees almost grazing his chin as he continued to concentrate on the thread. She gazed around the room, her eyes falling on what little colour the room had. The small photographs on the desk made her heart flutter erratically; there was a photo of her of in the park holding a strawberry ice-cream, smiling toothily at the camera lens.

"How are you?"

She wasn't surprised that the question didn't receive a reply. He just continued to pull at the piece of thread, his brown eyes fixed on anything but her. Cat sighed softly, determined to try to hold her back her temper that was threatening to make an appearance. For three weeks she had wandered around the halls of Hollywood Arts feeling completely lost. Of course she still spoke to Jade, Tori, Beck and André, but none of them could really relate with what she was going through, they couldn't sympathise with how she was feeling… because she still wasn't completely certain herself.

Did she really have true feelings for Robbie, it would explain why she missed him so much when he wasn't around…. or did she just say that in the heat of the moment because she couldn't bear it if she had to watch him fall?

She was certain that she missed him, every day she called the hospital hoping that he would speak with her, and every day she was shot down by the same uninterested nurse. But today she was here, sitting opposite him, wanting nothing more than for him to say something, to say anything to her.

"So…" she dragged out the "o", trying to think of a topic of conversation, "Did you, em-"

Her pathetic attempt at starting a conversation was saved by his sudden moment. Wordlessly he picked up the red book and passed it over to her, the book sealed shut.

"Okay dear! It's time to go!"

The nurse had interrupted the exchange, Cat glanced down at the book, "Robbie do you want me to take this?"

He nodded quickly before turning away from her, choosing instead to stare out at the rain that was splattering against the window. The redhead bit her lip mumbling a goodbye as the nurse ushered her out of the room.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

That night, as the little redhead from Hollywood Arts sat on top of her plush, horrifically pink bed spread, she opened Tess' journal with newfound interest. As she flick through each page, she found her sudden enthusiasm dwindle as she found nothing new… that was until she reached the final page.

The writing was different, scruffy more rushed than the cursive, delicate writing of an artist. But Cat recognised it instantly; because she had seen it before, it matched the letter that Robbie had written so long ago… it seemed he had left her another message. Her heart pounding, her hand jittering with excitement… she began to read the heartfelt message.

_On this day, the 20__th__ April, I finally finished reading this journal for the first time. It was difficult; there were times when I had to collect myself because it was all just too much. There was so many things that I wanted to know about my best friend Tess, so many little things that I thought that I would never get to hear. Through this journal I got an insight to the girl she was before the incident, the girl that she transformed into after and finally the girl that she always wanted to be, and it just so happened that she became this girl when she met me. I hated the boy that I was; I despised the way I looked, the way I was perceived by others… to the point where I allowed it consume me, to overpower my senses, to possess me._

_Before I read this, I thought I had never made an impact on anyone's life. I realise now that I was wrong, and it's the author of this tragic tale that I have to thank for this. Through reading this I realised the importance of allowing someone into your life. _

_Even in death, Tess Green still manages to surprise me. She was insightful; she had a wonderful outlook on life. _

_"Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it's clear that to __**love**__ oneself is the foundation of the __**love**__ of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice."_

_Before you say it; that is a Buddhist quote that I stole from Tess earlier. She will never understand to what extent this message has affected my life. It made me realise why it is was so difficult for Cat to feel anything towards me, why I blamed my problems on my unrequited love for her, even why Tess struggled to open herself up to me._

_I am glad that this journal was retrieved, I will cherish it and I will never forget it's message for as long as I live. That is why I want to thank the girl who made it possible, the girl who saved me just three weeks prior to this confession. I want her to know that I forgive her wholly, for every naïve mistake she made throughout our friendship. I already know that she feels guilty for this. I already know that she is trying her best to make it up to me. _

_But if Tess has taught me anything, it's that I need to learn to love myself first before I can learn to love another. But I'm getting there, every day I force myself to eat a little bit more, to reassure myself that it will get better, because I have one goal, one incentive that is making me continue._

_So that the love I know Cat Valentine has for me, can finally be reciprocated, in its purest form possible._

She bit her lip to try to conceal the wide grin that was trying to reappear. She shut the book over softly and set it on the bedside table. More than anything she felt relief, he wasn't ignoring her… he was nervous. He reminded her of that boy she met so many years ago. That shy, awkward boy who had tripped over her foot on the first day of school, the boy she had befriended.

Cat finally had her answer, the question that she was afraid to answer or say out loud.

She was in love with Robbie Shapiro.

* * *

**Hello my beautys! How are you all, hope the new year is treating you well! I'm almost ready to wrap up this story... i hope this chapter was satisfactory for all you cabbie shippers!**

**Much love and as always thank you so much for the support/reviews!**

**Sweeney 7760**

**xoxox**


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